How to Upskill Yourself in your First Year

Do an online course

Yes, you’re at university. That doesn’t mean you can’t fit in a cheeky course here and there. Online platforms like Coursera, edX and Google Career Certificates all offer free short courses in everything from coding to digital marketing.

The trick is to pick a course that you're genuinely interested in, and that’ll give you something to show. Certificates are great, but being able to take that knowledge and apply it to real-life situations is even better.

Join a society

Look for societies that are relevant to what you’re studying or your career goals. Want a job in back-end engineering? Join a coding team. Looking to become an MP? Join the debating team.

Even if you can’t find a society that fits your career goals, you’ll definitely find one that fits your hobbies. Once you do settle on a society you love, don’t just join - get stuck in. Volunteer, run for society president, or become the treasurer. These roles help you build transferable skills like teamwork, leadership, event management and budgeting.

Or you could start one. Unis love societies, and if you’ve found a niche that has genuine interest from other students, speak to your SU to get set up.

Look for spring weeks and insight days

You might not know this, but spring weeks and insight days are for you.

These are short work experience opportunities (normally lasting between one day and two weeks) run by employers during the spring term. They’ll give you an inside look at how a company or industry works. You’ll get involved in anything from how to write a CV to learning about their job roles and even shadowing a current employee.

They’re worth doing because employers use them to scout talent, and they get you in front of employers early.

Work on personal projects

This is where you can really stand out. Working on personal projects shows employers that you’re serious about your sh*t. You have genuine passion and show initiative.

How you do this depends on your field. If you’re a tech student, you could build an app, design a game or contribute to open sources like GitHub. As a business student, you might create an analysis of a company’s business strategy. Creative students could build a portfolio filled with graphic designs or architectural sketches. Studying journalism? Start a blog or YouTube channel.

You’ll learn a lot about yourself and the way that you work. Even if it’s small, you’ll have something real to show employers when the time comes.

Use your uni’s resources

It’s never too early to visit your university's careers office. They run CV workshops, mock interviews and networking events throughout the year. They’ll likely have a jobs board too, filled with local part-time roles, volunteer opportunities and paid industry work experience.

There might be loads of jobs around campus, too. Whether it’s the campus coffee shop, the SU bar or the library, it’s worth having a look.

Careers fairs are important, too! Yes, loads of them do concentrate on students actively looking for placements, internships and graduate jobs, but that doesn’t mean you can’t attend. You can still have conversations, collect contacts and learn what employers are actually looking for.

Get a LinkedIn account

If you haven’t got one already, make one. LinkedIn is a great place to make professional connections, learn about all the different types of jobs out there and get involved with virtual courses.

It’s super easy to do, and we have a full guide to help you get started:

Make your summer count

Your summer holiday is the best time to get a head start. You don’t have to do all of these either; pick one or two and really commit to them, and you’ll be way ahead of the game.

Even working a part-time job that seems unrelated will build transferable skills. You’ll gain customer service skills at a retail job, and time management and teamwork skills if you’re working in hospitality.

Most importantly, don’t overload yourself. The summer is still a chance to unwind and do all the fun things. Burnout before your second year? Not so fun.

You’re not behind, and your first year isn’t a waste of time. Doing one or more of the above will add so much to your degree and make you a real asset to employers. Make it work for you.