Making a Career During Your Studies

⏳ Estimated reading time: 25 min

The university years are a special time in a young person's life, and sometimes we only realise how special they were after graduation, both personally and professionally.

You have probably attended one educational institution or another since you were (at least) six years old, and although we are lifelong learners, the period of formal education comes to an end when you graduate. Finally, you enter a new realm, the labour market, where you will realise that a diploma, a master's degree or a PhD are not final destinations, but only stepping stones on your life and career path. The realisation that you are shaping your present and your future will become stronger and more tangible, and parallel to this realisation your autonomy and responsibility towards yourself and others will grow.

Picture with stairs made out of books

For many people, the transition from school to work is more difficult than it initially seems. To make this transition easier, it is useful to look at it (and every obstacle we face in life) from a bird's eye view. What would you see if you looked at this life transition from above? You would see that studies and career are not consecutive steps, but overlap. This is an important realisation that can make your transition into the labour market much easier.

And that's why it makes sense to consciously and intentionally steer the path of your studies so that it can be more easily linked to your career path later on. So how can you build a career while studying?

1. It all starts with you!

Let us start at the beginning. In this step, you will be asked to answer the following questions seriously and honestly at least once during your studies: What is the goal of my studies? What will I do when I have finished my studies? What do I want to do? What am I good at? What do I dislike? What kind of work environment am I interested in? What values are most important to me at work? Can I imagine what I would like my work to look like in practise? Can I imagine what my daily life will be like after graduation? What kind of lifestyle do I want to have? Where do I see myself in five years' time? etc.

Simbolična slika z veliko barvnimi vprašaji

The answers to the questions posed form the basis for career planning. They require you to think carefully and, in turn, make the next steps easier.

Don't expect all the answers to be inherently clear to you, and don't expect them to stay the same! Our value system can change with experience and major life changes.

The following questionnaires are available for you to explore yourself:

E-svetovanje (E-consultation) (Available only in Slovenian language) of the Employment Service of Slovenia. After registering, you can make a qualitative self-assessment of your interests, qualities and competences with the help of several questionnaires: 'What do I like? What do I know? What am I interested in? What do I know?
The assessment and recognition of non-formal knowledge (Available only in Slovenian language) offers questionnaires for reflection on work, personal qualities and learning.

The questionnaires will help you to learn a lot about your attitude to life and work. Strengthened by this information, you will be able to make your way through work and life with more self-confidence.

Some people have always known the answers to these questions, but for others even many questionnaires do not bring clarity and can even make them feel insecure. At the University of Maribor, you can take advantage of individual career counselling from the counsellors at the Career Centre of the University of Maribor. The counselling is free of charge, you can register at any time during your studies, the number of visits is unlimited, and the counsellors are trained to answer your professional and personal questions.

2. What to do, what to do?

Once you have a rough idea of your desired career future, it's time to explore all your job options and find answers to more questions: What does my dream job look like in practise? Which professional requirements do I fulfil, and which do I not? What other similar jobs are there in the industry? What are the chances of getting a job in this industry and in this profession? What is the demand on the labour market for this type of work? Which employers are leading in this field? What position do the companies or organisations I am interested in have in the labour market? How has the sector changed in recent years? etc.You can find answers by:

Job descriptions (tasks, working conditions, skills and competences required, etc.) e.g. at ESS-job descriptions (available only in Slovenian language), Mojaizbira.si (available only in Slovenian language) and O*Net (available only in Slovenian language).
If you are interested in an engineering profession, for example, you can find useful information on the website Inženirke in inženirji bomo! (available only in Slovenian language). There are many other websites with useful information for other professions. Browse the internet.
A good way to research professions, work tasks and requirements are specific job advertisements that you can find on various job portals (ESS-job search, Optius, MojeDelo, Careerjet, Gov.si (some are available only in Slovenian language)), at student services or on social networks (LinkedIn, Facebook).

While you are looking for employment opportunities, you can check whether you have the right aptitude for entrepreneurship: Entrepreneurship Readiness Questionnaire (available only in Slovenian language). If you think you are close to entrepreneurship, contact Slovenian Business Point (SPOT), business incubators, portals, etc. for more information. The booklet: Self-employment and other forms of employment (available only in Slovenian language) from the Employment Service of Slovenia is also useful.

Keep a regular eye on the labour market, which is constantly reacting to various factors in the immediate and wider environment. Currently, the green transition, digitalisation and artificial intelligence are bringing about the most changes. Career paths are becoming more dynamic and uneven, and employers are feeling the effects and therefore changing their attitude towards job seekers. As new professions emerge, it makes sense to look at the professions of the future and the skills that will be most in demand.

Update the picture of your desired career future with the new skills you will acquire in this step.

If you are having difficulties making career decisions, you can sign up for career counselling at the Career Centre of the University of Maribor. They will help you to recognise your difficulties in choosing a career and your decision-making style. As part of the counselling, you can also take the Holland Interest Test, which identifies a person's main interests and suggests professions that might suit them well.

3. Goals, goals, goals!

“A goal properly set is halfway reached.“ (Zig Ziglar)

After self-reflection, it's time to set yourself goals. Well-defined goals give you a clear direction for your actions and increase your motivation. Clear goals also help you with decision-making and time management.

You have probably already had the experience of setting yourself a goal that was too ambitious and a minor setback has robbed you of all your motivation. Or you have set a goal that was too vague and confused you because you seemed to be treading water. Maybe you set a goal that wasn't time-bound and various other things “got in the way" so you simply forgot about the original goal and felt guilty about it. All of this can happen when we set goals thoughtlessly and hastily or when others set them for us.

By setting goals, you transform your aspirations from fantasy to reality. There are several techniques for effectively setting (and achieving) goals.

One of the most widely used is the S.M.A.R.T. goal setting method, which defines a good goal as: specific, measurable, achievable, relevant and time-based.
Goals can be short-term (today, this week, this month) and/or long-term (semester, several months, year, years).
They can relate to our personal, professional, educational, etc. Goals and are often interlinked.
You will achieve your goals faster if you define them clearly, if they are in line with your value system, if you write them down and/or share them with others and if you visualise them in words or pictures.

Image of three messages: Dream big, Set goals, Take action.

The Action Plan Worksheet with Samples and Examples from Career Centre UM (available only in Slovenian language [download PDF; 240 KB]) can help you define your goals.

4. And..Action!

So how can we take the most active approach to building a career while studying? By taking the first three steps, you have focussed on your inner world and laid the foundations for the outer world activities covered in this step. Your career goals will certainly be easier to achieve if you have a network, experience and the right skills. Below are some examples of activities that can lead you to your career goals:

GET WORK EXPERIENCE! Use them to test your work habits. Observe yourself to see what works for you and what does not. Pay attention to the workflow and the different characteristics of the work environment. Make contacts.

Try to choose student jobs, internships and student traineeships that match your goals and the skills you have or want to develop.
Don't be too restrictive in your selection, because every job entails certain skills and knowledge that are sometimes more and sometimes less transferable.
It makes sense to try out different positions and tasks in order to get as realistic and comprehensive a picture as possible of each professional field.
There's nothing wrong with starting with the easier tasks, but don't shy away from the more responsible ones.
You can also gain work experience through volunteering, demonstrating your proactivity and commitment to higher goals.
You can also gain work experience by being an active member of clubs and student organisation.
Remember to maintain a balance between study and work!

NETWORK! Networking is one of the key factors for success on the labour market. A well-developed network can help you find out about opportunities more quickly, share experiences, build relationships and be more visible on the labour market.

The easiest way to build a network is during your work experience.
Spread it within your personal and educational circle.
Career fairs provide an excellent platform for networking.
Attend professional industry events, training courses and festivals where you will meet many professionals and employer.
Come prepared! Get to know the participating companies, organisations and speakers in advance, get involved in conversations, bring your business card or CV and make sure you dress professionally to reflect your professionalism.
Maintain your network - and remember that good and lasting relationships take time and effort.
Don't forget online networking: take care of your digital footprint and prepare your professional profile on LinkedIn.
Sign up for the online networking platform set up by the Career Centre UM Karierni:UM (available only in Slovenian language).

MAKE THE MOST OF YOUR OPPORTUNITIES AT YOUR FACULTY! Take your studies seriously and be aware of the additional learning and experience opportunities that your faculty and university offer you.

Make contact with professors, alumni and other experts who work in your chosen field. Find out about their career paths.
Choose your studies and extracurricular activities strategically and in line with your career goals.
Attend conferences and seminars organised in your chosen field and actively network. If possible, participate in the organisation of these events.
Take part in competitions, contests, research and other projects that can help you grow professionally and demonstrate your proactivity and courage.
International exchange is also a special challenge and an opportunity for growth.

DEVELOP ADDITIONAL SKILLS! Skills are often one of the decisive factors in the selection process.

Soft skills such as communication, teamwork, time management, conflict resolution, flexibility, etc. are becoming increasingly important in the labour market.
Pay attention to your soft skills, think about which ones you need to develop and work towards them.
Attend personal and professional development events organised by the Career Centre UM.
Expand your informal knowledge, many online course platforms (Coursera, Udemy, DuoLingo) can help you do this.
Work on developing your job search skills: create your CV during your studies and update it regularly, make a list of companies you would like to work for and follow up on it regularly, organise your career portfolio, contact the Career Centre UM advisors.

EVALUATE! By regularly evaluating your activities, you can monitor your progress towards your goals, learn from your activities and change your decisions and plans if necessary.

Image of career steps: Plan, Implement, Evaluate, Improve in a circle

In conclusion...

It's up to you which activities you choose and how intense they are. Career development is not a one-off event, but a lifelong process.

The term “life career“ is coming to the fore, extending the meaning of career from the realm of work to the entire journey of life. The fact is that we are happier and more effective when we are doing something that fulfils us. Therefore, it makes sense to think ahead, look inward and set appropriate goals, channel experiences towards your goals and start building a career before entering the labour market. The study period is the ideal springboard - use it!