Reflect on your career options

Doing your research 

• Build on your existing research into career options related to your chosen postgraduate course. Use our online resources to develop your knowledge of what you might do, and to identify opportunities to develop your skills and experience during the course.
• Talk to tutors about what previous students on your course have gone on to do.

• Use LinkedIn to make contact with Brighton Alumni.
• Talk to other students about their ideas and what they are doing to pursue them.
• Review the information you have researched and career ideas you are developing. Has your thinking changed since before the course? If it has, how might this affect your plans for after the course? If it hasn’t, are you on track with your course and your plans for after graduation?

Creating your brand

Researching career options will help you identify what employers in your field will find attractive.

Thinking about yourself as a brand will help you to focus on your main strengths and communicate these clearly. It can also ensure you are communicating consistently; whether in applications and interviews, or via your online presence.

What is distinctive about you?

• Reflect on your skills and experience
• Identify areas for improvement
• Keep a journal of your development
• Sell your skills and experience to an employer.

Professional networking 

• Networking is key to your professional development. This includes getting work after graduation, and keeping you informed about key issues and development opportunities during your studies.
• Keep in touch with your existing networks from university and elsewhere. Continue building these by making connections with others in your field outside university as well as people on your course (particularly those interested in similar work).
• Get involved with activities or organisations that reflect your emerging professional interests. Talk to other students about what you’ve found out and see if they can add to your list.

• Use the Active Student volunteering service to find opportunities that build skills, experience and contacts relevant to your course and career goals.
• Use the Beepurple entrepreneurship network to build commercial awareness and self-promotion skills.
• Create/develop your professional online presence using social media to research career ideas and opportunities, promote your ‘personal brand’ and build your network.

Using social media professionally 

Keep the professional and personal separate, eg a LinkedIn account for professional use and Facebook for personal use.

Many recruiters will search for you, and professionals in your field will look to connect with you. Make sure that what they see shows you in a positive light at all times.

Further information

• LinkedIn Help Centre has tips on everything from setting up a profile to job searching, networking and sharing your professional expertise.
• Jobs.ac.uk has assignments in HE, public, not-for-profit and private sectors. Connect and collaborate with thousands of researchers worldwide.

Future pathways 

The suggestions above will help you to build your awareness of careers related to your field of study, and to clarify what you have to offer employers and what they can offer you.

You will need to think about how to demonstrate and market how your postgraduate study enhances your appeal to potential employers.

Reflect and review 

• Take time to get to know yourself, and your long-term potential and aspirations. Speak to a Career Development Adviser about the steps you may need to take to get there.
• Tools like Prospects Career Planner will help you to reflect on your experience and aims.
• Consider whether further study has affected your thinking about career paths and opportunities you would like to pursue.

• Identify and document how postgraduate study has enhanced your transferrable skills.
• Continue taking every opportunity to gain relevant experience in order to develop your skills and knowledge.
• Keep documenting your ongoing professional development through your LinkedIn profile and any other appropriate outlets.

Further study 

Perhaps you are considering furthering your career by undertaking a PhD. The following resources have helpful advice and tools regarding all aspects of research careers.

• Doctoral College oversees postgraduate research which is at the forefront of the University of Brighton’s mission.
• Find a PhD.com
• International students - Moving on to further study from UKCISA includes information on choosing a course and making a new visa application.

• Find a PhD from jobs.ac.uk has PhDs, research studentships, professional doctorates.
• Should I do a PhD? (pdf) from jobs.ac.uk has actions and tips to help you make an informed decision.
• Vitae has advice and resources related to doing a PhD, supervising a PhD, working as a member of research staff or developing as a PI.

Employment and self-employment 

• Decide what career is right for you by researching prospective employers and understanding what they are looking for in specific roles in specific sectors. Understand the importance of targeting your application to a specific vacancy. Also ensure you articulate and evidence your skills and experience in your applications, CVs and in interviews, and explain how you would add value to the role/organisation having studied beyond graduate level.

• Identify your strengths and unique selling points (USPs). What makes you better than the next candidate?
• Are you considering self-employment or freelance working? Beepurple, the university's enterprise and entrepreneurship service offers advice and support. For further information see our Enterprise pages.

Networking and support 

• Joining the Alumni Association will maintain your relationship with your peers, the university and its current students.
• Consider joining professional bodies, or update your student membership if you have one.

Ongoing support from the university

As a University of Brighton graduate you have ongoing access to our support for as long as you wish. Find out more about our careers support for alumni.