Kick Imposter Syndrome to The Curb - You're Exactly Where You Need to Be!

Your university experience is about many different things- yes, your academic grades but it's also about You - your personal and professional development.

If you haven't discovered this yet, your university is absolutely invested in promoting access, representation and equality for your career success post-graduation.

To help make this happen, really make the most of all the resources and support available to you now. Your future self will thank you for not leaving it until you get your degree to start thinking about these things, you will be amazed how much progress you can make before you graduate!

 Here are 6 hot tips to get that career momentum going:

1. Reach out to your uni's career services and get involved. There'll be a calendar of events and skills development workshops with industry speakers. These employer-led career events are pure gold and will help you get in front of potential employers who want to hire ambitious students like YOU. You can find out about career pathways you may have never considered before, opportunities you weren't aware of, as well as build your professional network of people who can support your career development and boost your commercial awareness. Knowledge is Power!

2. Look for mentorship with on campus initiatives and external organisations. You could also mentor another student to boost their academic and personal growth, this is a great way to pay things forward and develop key leadership skills. Remember, you don't have to be in a leadership position to show leadership skills!

3. Connect with uni services that that focus on supporting diverse student experiences, as well as other DEI (Diversity, Equality, and Inclusion) student groups and organisations on and off campus. If there's a group that you feel isn't represented, you could start one.

4. Organise S.U. events that celebrate different experiences and identities promoting awareness and understanding.

5. When it comes to research, you have an opportunity to explore and promote more diverse narratives and perspectives, adding to the knowledge and contributing to more inclusive academic environments and greater representation enriching all students' experience of uni.

6. Build relationships and collaborate with students from backgrounds different to yours to open your mind to new perspectives and experiences. This could be in study groups or project groups.

All these steps can help make you a more rounded person, boost your confidence and will also look great on your CV and job applications. They will show you as someone who approaches your uni experience with a growth mindset, with active listening skills and empathy - again great leadership traits.

Your identity and life experiences are important, they make you who you are and are part of your unique personal brand. It is worth reflecting on these and leveraging them as strengths in your career journey and career conversations- there will never be another you and the world needs what you have to offer. Contributing or participating in a more inclusive university experience now will help you develop your emotional intelligence, open you up to more authentic career opportunities, help you develop a growth mindset as well as build your social capital, and strengthen your professional network!

Suggested Resources

Connect with your Uni career service!

Article: 6 ways a mentor could help your career and how to choose the right person

Article: Why is a Mentor important?

Online resource: 100 faces: University First Generation students share their stories

Webinars and Podcasts: Many universities, organisations and employers host webinars and podcasts on topics such as DEI- and student experiences. Search for the ones you are interested online or on media platforms.

By Anna Gordon - Certified Business Coaching Psychologist ABP CBCP