How Students Can Become More Productive at University

By Ray Smith

Nowadays, an increasing number of students want to study at University, most notably because there are a number of different degrees and more financial assistance. However, this will mean increased competition for higher level jobs, and an increasingly necessity for students to become more proactive and use their time at college to gain more than their degree.

One of the most important first steps that many students will need to do is to prepare a CV; there are a number of institutions who offer CV building software and there are also many other free programs online. You will need to look at the different examples of CVs and write yours so it will sell you.

Also, you will need to look at the different things that your lecturers and friends use to describe you, what your best achievements are, and where you want to be in five or ten years after graduation. All of these points should be incorporated into your written CV. You will also need to save what you have written on a frequent basis and spend at least a few hours creating the best possible CV you can. You will find the whole process beneficial and it will help you adapt certain points in your CV that need changing.

A good next step will be to look at the different job papers, boards and online sites, to see if there are any potential roles that you could be interested in. Whether you are looking for a job now or you're looking potential ones, the process of reviewing and analysing different roles and attending interviews will be something that you should learn more about and eventually become good at.

After completing university, no doubt you are going to need to find a job, so learning the process now will make sure you will have the best answers to questions being posed, and you will already have the confidence when making a first impression. When you review your CV and you think there isn't much there, then you should think about getting some more skills.

Team work, leadership and organisational skills are ways to experience and gain during your years at university. If you have considered joining a sports team then you should, as this shows a potential employer you think about your own fitness and that you can work as part of a team, being driven to succeed.

You could also apply to be on a committee, and play a part in making serious decisions for a good cause. This offers you the chance to experience independent responsibility and let you take charge. You could also help boost your organizational skills by getting involved in organizing shows or nights out for members.

Communication and Interpersonal skills are similarly easy to gain. Most universities currently encourage this by asking students to write essays to a specified word count. This will include: gathering information, facts and points, and expressing them in as few words as possible, yet in a coherent and supported argument.

To develop this further, you could try and get involved with a newspaper, magazine or even a radio station at your university. Again, joining a committee is an excellent way to meeting people and building on communication and personal skills.

Time management is also a useful skill. Practice working towards deadlines in a sensible manner. Do your course reading when it is set and make sure you have time to plan, write, proofread and edit your essay before you have to give it in. Schedule revision sessions before exams so that you dont have to cram information the night before. All of these will help you to both gain a higher mark and learn to manage your time better, which will be necessary in a working environment.

Remember that you need to be realistic and work towards giving yourself more than just a degree to make you attractive to employers. Any extra skills and experience you can add to a job role will make you seem like a more suitable candidate, and may even boost the salary the company are willing to pay! Look at whats available and choose some extra activities too " you should make the most of your time at university.

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