So you graduated from University. Congratulations! However, now you’re an adult. You have certain responsibilities. One of these responsibilities is to keep busy even when you’re not working and it’s one people often don’t think about. Of course, coming straight out of uni you’re going to want to get a graduate job as soon as possible but what do you do while you wait for those all-important applications to close? You keep busy!
There are a few reasons for this. The most important being that one of the most common interview questions for someone fresh out of university is ‘what have you been doing since you graduated?’. Now, no one wants to be stuck in a situation where they can’t answer that question because the honest answer is ‘eating Doritos and watching Netflix’. No employer is going to be impressed by your incredible abilities to lay in bed and consume large quantities of potato-based snacks.
We know, you feel like you deserve a break after graduating. You are not wrong. University is a tough few years and you’ve probably spent ages writing your dissertation this year and feel like you haven’t had a chance to relax. However, employers won’t see things the same way you do. They want you to be energetic and have a strong desire to work. You can still (secretly) have your Netflix time, don’t worry. There are a few things you can do to keep yourself busy while still enjoying your free time to its fullest before you enter the world of work. We covered these in our article 5 Ways to Improve Your C.V Without a Permanent Job, so why not check that out for some ideas?
So, what other reasons are there for keeping busy if all you want to do is watch 10 episodes of New Girl? Well, firstly (and trust us on this one), you’re going to get bored quicker than you think. At first having loads of free time after graduating can seem really great but before you know it you’re bored. Keeping your brain and body active after university is so important for making sure you keep growing as a young person. You need new hobbies now, after all. Or even consider finding a way to keep the old hobbies that you loved at university going back home. Keeping busy is the best way to ensure you don’t get bitten by the boredom bug.
You also need to make sure you keep socializing after university. University is a very social place where you are constantly surrounded by people your own age, you probably lived with some of them and got to socialize on a daily basis. Now, you know as well as we do that socializing with your parents is not the same. Spend time with old friends from back home, make new ones by joining classes or youth clubs. Keeping social is so important because not only does it help keep you happy and active, it will also show your potential employer that you are an outgoing and fun individual.
Finally, it is important to keep your brain working after university. You’ve kept it well exercised over the past few years but if you stop you are going to find yourself feeling a bit ‘mushy’. Keeping sharp is important because it will help improve your chances at getting a job as well as keeping you on a nice level plane from where you were at university. So why not do some studying from home or join a local class to keep your brain exercised on the regular? You are an intelligent graduate, after all.
There are plenty more reasons to keep yourself busy once you graduate, these are just a few to highlight the importance of staying active and healthy. It’s really all down to you at the end of the day, as you are the adult now! Going out into the real world can be scary but you might find it’s a lot easier than you think, especially if you are already integrating yourself through regular activities outside of work. Good luck with your job search and have a look around our website for some more ideas on things you can do!
