---
title: "Thinking about your future career? Here's how Arden helps you take your first steps"
description: "Entering the workplace for the first time? Discover how Arden University's careers team can help you build confidence, develop skills and prepare for your career."
canonical: "https://ads.pr1.ops.ads.arden-prod01.arden.ac.uk/knowledge-base/career-advice/how-arden-helps-students-in-their-future-career"
published: 2026-09-10
updated: 2026-09-10
author: "Arden University"
---

# Thinking about your future career? Here's how Arden helps you take your first steps

Starting your career and entering the professional world for the first time is an exciting step, but it can also feel daunting.

You might be wondering what jobs you could apply for, whether your CV is good enough, how to handle your first interview, or even where to begin looking for work. And if you've never had a professional role before, there can be a lot of things about the world of work that you simply haven't had the chance to learn yet.

We spoke to Careers Consultant Abby Waugh about how Arden supports career starters, from exploring potential career paths and building confidence, to preparing for interviews, developing professional networks and taking those first steps into the workplace.

The important thing to remember is that you don't need to have your entire career figured out before you graduate.

#### You don't need to have your entire career planned from the start

One of the first things Arden's [careers team](https://arden.ac.uk/student-life/careers-employability-alumni-hub/our-careers-team) helps students understand is that careers rarely follow a straight line.

You might have a particular job in mind when you start university and discover that something else interests you along the way. You might try a particular industry and realise it's not right for you. Or you might graduate with several possible directions and not know which one to choose. All of these situations are normal.

Arden's Career Starter support helps you explore your options, understand what your degree could lead to and make decisions based on your own interests, strengths, values and goals.

As Abby explains, it's about helping students understand that career development is an ongoing process of exploration and learning, rather than something you have to get right immediately. Understanding this can take some of the pressure off while giving you a clearer idea of what you want to do next.

#### Understanding what you can do with your degree

When you're starting out, one of the biggest challenges can simply be knowing what jobs are available to you.

You might have chosen your degree because you enjoy the subject, without knowing exactly what you want to do with it afterwards. Or you might have a specific career in mind but be unsure what qualifications or experience you'll need to get there.

The careers team can help you explore the different possibilities.

You'll look at potential occupations and sectors, research the skills employers are looking for and consider the different routes available to you, including graduate roles, graduate schemes, further study, professional qualifications and even self-employment.

You'll also be encouraged to look beyond the most obvious career associated with your degree.

For example, a psychology degree doesn't necessarily mean becoming a psychologist. Your skills could be relevant to careers across areas such as law, business, human resources, education, healthcare, marketing, and many others.

As Abby puts it, you don't necessarily have to work in the sector you studied for.

Your degree can give you a range of transferable skills that can open doors in unexpected places.

#### Turning your existing experience into professional skills

You don't need to have worked in a professional role before to have valuable skills.

You might have worked in retail or hospitality, volunteered, cared for family members, completed work experience or balanced your studies with other responsibilities.

Arden's careers resources can help you identify the transferable skills you've already developed and understand how they relate to the roles you're interested in.

For example, your experience in hospitality might have helped you develop time management skills and the ability to work under pressure. Those skills could be relevant to a much wider range of professional roles than you might initially expect.

As an Arden student, you’ll have access to online tools such as [Occumi](https://www.occumi.co.uk/) can help you identify these transferable skills and connect them to the requirements of specific jobs, making it easier to understand what you already have to offer.

#### Building a CV when you don't have much experience

One of the biggest concerns for career starters is often their CV.

You might look at a job description asking for experience and wonder how you're supposed to get experience when you're applying for your first professional role.

The careers team can help you work through this, including identifying the skills and experience you already have and showing you how to present them effectively.

You'll also have access to [CareerSet](https://careerset.com/), which provides automated feedback on your CV and cover letter. You can use it to identify areas for improvement and make your applications stronger before you send them to employers.

And if you need more personalised advice, you can book one-to-one appointments with a member of the Arden Careers team.

#### Preparing for your first interview

Your first professional interview can be intimidating, particularly if you've never experienced a formal recruitment process before.

Interviews can involve much more than simply sitting down and answering a few questions. Depending on the employer and role, you may face multiple interview stages, practical tasks, assessments or psychometric tests.

Arden's careers team can help you understand what to expect and practise before the real thing.

You can book a practise or ‘mock’ interview with a careers consultant, giving you the opportunity to practise answering questions out loud and receive feedback on how you can improve.

These sessions can be particularly useful if you're nervous about speaking in an interview or if you're applying for a role in an area where you don't yet have professional experience.

The aim isn't to give you a perfect set of answers to memorise. It's to help you become more comfortable talking about yourself, your skills and why you're interested in the role.

#### What if you don't know what to say when someone asks: Tell me about yourself?

This is one of those questions that sounds simple until you're actually asked it.

For students who haven't worked in a professional environment before, even introducing yourself to an employer can feel uncomfortable.

That's why Arden's Career Starter support includes workshops and guidance around networking and professional introductions.

You'll learn how to create a short introduction that explains who you are, what you're interested in, what your strengths are and what you're hoping to do next.

You can then use it when meeting employers at careers fairs, introducing yourself to someone on LinkedIn or answering those familiar opening interview questions.

It gives you a starting point, which can make those first professional conversations feel much less intimidating.

#### Networking doesn't have to be scary

The word ‘networking’ can make it sound like you need to walk into a room full of senior professionals and immediately start selling yourself.

In reality, [networking](https://arden.ac.uk/student-life/careers-employability-alumni-hub/build-your-experience) is simply about building professional relationships.

You probably already have the beginnings of a network which you might not be aware of. Your lecturers, careers advisers, current or previous colleagues and fellow students can all be part of it. From there, you can start building connections with employers, alumni and professionals working in areas you're interested in.

Arden's careers team can help you understand how to use platforms such as LinkedIn effectively, approach professionals and ask questions about their careers and industries.

You can also attend [careers fairs and employer events](https://arden.ac.uk/student-life/careers-employability-alumni-hub/career-events) to meet people working in different professions.

The more you practise these conversations, the more natural they can become.

#### Don't be discouraged by rejection

One of the realities of entering the professional workplace is you might send applications and receive no response. You might get through several stages of a recruitment process only to be rejected at the end.

That can be particularly difficult when you've worked hard to earn your degree and feel ready to start your career.

But, as Abby explains, rejection doesn't necessarily mean you're doing something wrong.

The careers team can help you understand what's happening, identify areas where you can improve and, importantly, build the resilience to keep going - helping you turn that uncertainty into a practical next step.

#### Your first job doesn't have to be your dream job

It's natural to have big ambitions for your career.

You might picture yourself stepping straight into a senior position after graduation, or you might have a particular salary or job title in mind.

Having ambitions is important. But it's also worth understanding that your first job is often about getting your foot in the door.

A graduate or entry-level role can give you the opportunity to develop professional experience, learn how organisations work and discover what you enjoy.

You can then use that experience to work towards the next opportunity.

As Abby explains, continuing to learn doesn't stop when you finish your degree. Your first role can be the beginning of another period of development, with opportunities to build your skills and confidence as you progress.

#### And the support doesn't stop when you graduate

Perhaps one of the most reassuring things for Arden students is that you don't suddenly lose access to careers support when you finish your degree.

Arden graduates can continue accessing careers support after graduation, including specialist graduate careers appointments and graduate events. Students also retain access to their Arden accounts for six months after leaving, while joining the [Arden Alumni community](https://arden.ac.uk/graduation/alumni-and-careers) can help you stay connected with other Arden students and professionals.

#### Your career starts with your next step

Starting your professional career can feel like a huge challenge when you're looking at it all at once.

You don't need to solve everything immediately.

Your first step might be creating your CV. It might be researching an industry, attending a careers event, practising an interview or booking an appointment with a careers consultant.

The important thing is to start.

[Careers Support](https://arden.ac.uk/student-life/careers-employability-alumni-hub) at Arden will help you build the knowledge, skills and confidence to take those first steps, while reminding you that your career doesn't have to follow a perfect plan.

The Arden Careers team host regular workshops on the topics we’ve talked about in this article, which gives you the chance to learn more about any particular area of our careers support services that you think will be the most helpful.

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