If you’re finishing your studies sometime this year – congratulations! All that hard work and effort will soon be rewarded with a degree. But the next step – getting a job – has lots of students worried. This comment from a third year UK student writing about ‘The Fear’ in The Independent sums it up nicely:

I might fail the final and most important test of university: getting a graduate job. …The Fear is justified. First years get it when they haven’t prepared for an exam; third years get it when they haven’t prepared for life.

Not even fear can prepare you for life after university

So how do you overcome the fear of not finding a graduate job? Get prepared now before you graduate! Here’s a checklist of the Must Dos for Victoria students:

• Register on CareerHub if you haven’t already.
• Use CareerHub to find graduate jobs and internships.
• Create a targetted CV and have it checked. Use the resume builder and sample CVs on CareerHub and have it checked at Vic Careers Drop In sessions
• Use the ePortfolio on CareerHub
• Attend interview workshops and book a mock interview through Vic Careers
• Make a career planning appointment with a Vic Careers consultant.
• Attend the relevant Careers Expos. Make sure you prepare for these in advance.
• Research employers. Use CareerHub, Vic Careers website and employers’ own websites.
• Attend employer presentations and Careers in Focus events. 
• Gain some work experience. This could be part-time, voluntary or a student role on campus. All work experience is invaluable.

And finally, don’t panic! The Fear can be overcome with a bit of time spent getting ready now.