..… and then there is all the positions you never even thought about
Marianne Bom & Rie Jerichow, Publicér
A lot engineers end up in a job that is a natural extension of their master thesis, but not everyone is in that situation. And then where do you look for work?
In their master thesis, most students dig into a limited academic field. But what if you really would rather work in a different area, rather would work generally, or if your grades are not shiny and open every door there is – then what do you do?
“It is about broadening your horizon and seeing opportunities in positions you never considered. Here it’s a good idea to search broadly through your entire education to get inspiration for where to look. You can look at your courses, study jobs, and all of your resume, and consider whether it has been fun and interesting, and then grade everything with a smiley. The list of smilies can then be used as a guide when reading job listings,” recommends special consultant Rikke Bjerregård Jespersen from Karrierecenteret at DTU.
Look at the entire palette
She recommends that you refrain from only looking at your history with technical eyes.
“You have to unfold the entire palette and look at what types of work you have thrived with the best, through the years. Those can help you get a sense of new career opportunities,” she says.
The flexibility usually comes after a while and a certain amount of pressure, because most people do not like to compromise with previous expectations.
“I have met grown adult students, who dreamed of positions as bosses or project managers in large corporations with a company car from day one, but sadly had to admit that their first job had to be at the bottom of the company’s hierarchy. Or students who only very late in their studies realized that the jobs in their fields were far from Copenhagen. They hadn’t even considered that. I always encourage student to follow their dreams, but sometimes the dream job may be different from what you may think,” she says.
See the possibilities in challenges
As a recent graduate, it is important to be flexible and curious when applying for a job. The dream job may not be in the neighborhood or extension of your master thesis.
“The dream job may hide in a position or a company that you never even considered, so it is important to turn the challenge into something positive. It isn’t impossible to move geographically, and a job in the provinces may also be a chance for recent graduates to started somewhere where the competition isn’t too fierce. It could also be a job in a smaller company than you imagined, that, in contrast to the big corporations, provides a chance to gain a larger responsibility faster, and lets you work with a lot of different areas,” says Rikke Bjerregård Jespersen.
Flexibility in relation to job search comes after a while and a certain amount of pressure, because most people do not like to compromise with previous expectations, says special consultant Rikke Bjerregård Jespersen from Karrierecenteret at DTU.
