As a student, are you ever asking yourself: “What am I going to do with my degree?”. You might need some inspiration.
For some fields of study it is not immediately obvious how to make a living from it. Yet, this does not mean that they are any less valuable to society than the university courses that directly lead to a certain occupation. Don’t let people tell you otherwise.
For the most part I would tell you to shrug off the questions of every aunty, relative or neighbor who raised their eyebrows and ask: “You are studying XYZ?! And what are you going to do with it?”
Of course, you can totally carve out your future career path on your own. But you can also look around you. Here are some sources to get inspiration when discovering your future niche and find your field of work:
Get inspiration from Alumni
There is absolutely no shame in looking at what others have done before you. Find out about alumni form your university, institute or course. If there are no alumni yet, or you cannot get hold of them, try other institutions with a similar focus.
A great way to learn about the career paths are alumni blogs. See if your school of institute has one, too.
Events organized by your graduate school might also be a great opportunity to hear what alumni have to say.
Visit industry fares for inspiration
Get ideas on industry fares. Talk to the people there. You might be surprised how many of them come from an unlikely professional background. If they are able to make a living, you can, too.
Mentors
Talk to mentors or teachers. Find out how they found their career path. Maybe you are lucky enough to have a great mentor. Ask him or her how he or she went about building their professional career.