What should I do after my degree?

Question

I am in the final year of my hospitality management degree and will finish at the end of August. Before my degree I took an HND course, so I have already done one work placement. However, this was only a waiting/bartending position, so I didn't get any supervisory experience.

With my lack of management experience, I am wondering what type of job to apply for after my degree. I would particularly like to work in human resources. Should I apply for a management training scheme? And should I start to apply for positions now?

What the expert says

Alison Clarke, human resources director, Whitbread Restaurants

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If you are not sure what you would like to do in the future, a management training scheme would be an ideal first position after your degree, and yes, it would be a good idea to contact companies as early as you can because graduate schemes tend to get full very quickly. Make sure that you choose a company that has a structured programme that will allow you to gain an insight into all aspects of business from marketing and finance to HR and operations. Also, discuss with your chosen company how your career will progress once the training scheme has ended. If, however, you are sure that you want a career in human resources, choose a company which offers an HR-specific graduate training scheme. A good one will give you the opportunity to gain experience of all aspects of human resources, such as employee relations, resourcing, rewards and recognition, and training. This will then help you to decide whether you want to specialise in one particular aspect of HR or whether you would like a role that would enable you to be involved in all aspects. If a graduate training scheme doesn't appeal, why not register with a specialist HR recruitment agency that will be able to advise you on alternative routes for getting into HR. I would also recommend that you study for a vocational qualification such as the Certificate for the Institute of Personnel Development, details of which can be found on the [CIPD website . You can study for this at home or by attending a course at a local college or management centre. This will make you more marketable in the future. Finally, industry journals are a good way of keeping abreast of what is happening, so I would recommend taking out a subscription for Human Resources Magazine, Personnel Today or People Management. Alternatively, you could look at these magazines at your local library.