How to Get Ahead of the Game at University

Not so long ago leaving university with a good degree was considered enough to secure a decent job and set you up on a high flying career path. However, over the last few years’ students have been bombarded with scary statistics about the gloomy outlook of the graduate job market. With increased fees and students in more debt than ever before, the importance of getting a job after university is on the top of most students’ minds. Although the number of graduate vacancies is expected to rise by 7.5% this year, the graduate job market is still extremely competitive. There is an average of 73 graduates for every one job, and with 64% of students gaining a first or 2:1; getting a good grade is not enough to make you stand out in the crowded graduate job market. So how can you differentiate yourself from your other students and make the most of your time at university?

Join an Enterprise Society

 The majority of universities will have enterprise societies set up. These societies help students develop their enterprise skills through business related challenges and events. Not only will these societies give you a chance to foster your entrepreneurial spirit, you will gain a valuable set of practical and transferable skills to use to set up your own business after university, or to put on your CV. They are a fantastic place to meet like-minded people and also to develop contacts though networking opportunities.
 

Start your own Business

 Feeling inspired from the enterprise society, why not go one step further and start your own business? You can develop the skills you are learning through your course and provide some additional income, for example, by creating websites or logos through freelance auction sites like People Per Hour. If you have a more substantial business idea that you want to develop, you will have access to a wealth of information through your university, so ask around and find out what business support and funding is available. If you want to test the idea before you start explaining it to other people, there are loads of resources on the internet that will help you to develop and analyse your idea, give you tips on how to conduct market research or produce a business plan.
 

Get Involved in Events

Some of the most asked for skills at graduate level jobs are communication, organisation, problem solving and teamwork. There is no better way to show this than getting involved in university events. I don’t mean be part of a group at university and occasionally turn up. Although you can put groups and societies on a CV, you won’t be able to rustle up some good, skill filled examples during an interview. Really get involved. You want to show employers that you can take the initiative, organise an event and work with other people. Take the lead in any group you are part of, such as organising the yearly ski trip or annual social event. Not part of any society? Create your own event. Love music? Organise a charity gig through Oxfam’s Oxjam. Hate waste in fashion? Organise a university wide clothes swapping event. Most universities will even have event organising pages, giving you handy checklists to ensure your event goes without a hitch.

 

Volunteer

It’s a well known catch-22; employers want to hire people with work experience and in order to get work experience you need a job. Volunteering is not only a fantastic way to give something back to the community and to contribute to a cause you care about, it will also boost your CV and provide those real life practical skills employers are looking for. If there are particular skills you want to develop, such as social media, website development or book keeping, look for a charity or social enterprise that are looking for an enthusiastic student like you with those same skills. Or there are national organisations such as Do-It which feature a huge range of jobs throughout the whole country. With 80% of employers saying they value volunteering on a CV, there really is no reason not to get out there and do some.
 
 
Not only will taking part in societies and events give you something to put on your CV, but it will introduce you to a whole new group of friends and experiences. So get out there and make the most of your time at university.

Emily McLaren is a keen traveller and budding entrepreneur. Keep up with her travel and fitness posts at www.bordersandburpees.co.uk  or follow her on Twitter at @BordersBurpees.

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  1. Our Impact
  2. Our Mission
  3. Our model

We've achieved a great deal in a short number of years, though there's much more too do in supporting our mission of 'Powering the Enterprise Generation'.

32,000

Students

19,926

Event attendees

20,505

Followers

42,000

Reach

16,512

Businesses

43,439

Jobs

Powering the Enterprising Generation

Our mission is to support the development of education and student engagement throughout college and universities by championing student enterprise societies and peer-to-peer learning. NACUE started from an extraordinary movement in student entrepreneurship, providing young individuals with a platform to be experimental, creative and inspiring in their approach to enterprise and entrepreneurship, encouraging a bottom-up approach to inspiring the next generation.


Today, we see over 200 enterprise societies, powered by peer-to-peer groups, who are championing the success of young people throughout their interactive programmes by forging collaborative relationships with their institutions to provide greater experience and development opportunities for their peers. Establishing regional links with locals SME’s who are keen to open their doors to emerging talented, proactive and enthusiastic graduates perpetuates this.


Our work is dedicated to supporting the development and encouragement of entrepreneurship amongst young individuals and forms the sole purpose of NACUE. To learn more about NACUE and the services we produce, click here.

As a not-for-profit, we raise charitable donations that allow us to widen the opportunities available to young people in relation to enterprise and entrepreneurship, strengthening student engagement, the quality of education and connecting and representing student enterprise societies and student entrepreneurs worldwide.

NACUE is a charitable organisation that supports 32,000 students and young people every year. As funding becomes harder to obtain, we rely on the generous support of donors to ensure our programs can continue to change the lives and aspirations of the younger generation.


A donation of any size goes a long way to furthering our work and really is greatly appreciated. Every gift matters in aiding our mission of ‘Powering the Enterprising Generation' but we mainly rely upon the generosity of our members and alumni to do this. By making a single or regular donation you can make a big difference. To learn more about how you can donate, please follow the links below.



 

Large national network

NACUE are delighted to have supported a huge number of student-led societies over the years. You can see the number of established student-led societies on an interactive map below

 

College
University
Society

 

 

Who we work with

Entrepreneurs

Entrepreneurs are at the very core of NACUE, everything we do is to better the startup and self employment ecosystem. We believe that entrepreneurs will shape the future, and we bolster this through our events, our network and our advocacy.

Students

NACUE works with students in Colleges and Universities right across the UK, helping support them in their entrepreneurial goals and connect them with like minded peers.

Educators

NACUE works collaboratively with educators and academics in supporting the development of entrepreneurial mindsets in young people.

Our events

Our events offer the young people we work with the opportunity to connect with our wider network, the experts and seasoned entrepreneurs in our community and the chance to be inspired to take the leap of faith into entrepreneurship. These events are attended by students and graduates from universities and colleges up and down the UK, as well as students from across Europe. Student Societies take centre stage at our events, alongside innovators, game changers and trail blazers of the UK startup ecosystem.

The difference we make

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