While a ‘year out’ following university was unplanned for me, it’s certainly given me time to thoroughly think about what I want to be doing and where I want to be. I had been counting on starting a graduate scheme as soon as I’d finished university, and despite coming very close to doing so on several occasions things just didn’t pan out that way in the end. So here I am, with a temporary job to ensure I have no gaping holes on my CV, and a slightly less clear idea of what the next year holds in store.

Nonetheless, I do know where I want to be and what I am aiming for. In the new year I will hopefully secure a permanent engineering role, whether that be near Ascot (where I’m currently living with my parents) or in Bristol, in order to gain some relevant experience. Failing that I’ll continue with some temporary work.  I’ll also be applying for graduate schemes with large aerospace companies to start in September 2018. And if I can maybe fit a little travelling in somewhere, then I think that will make this odd year out more worthwhile.

Ultimately, I am yearning to be back in Bristol, where I studied and where I want to make a permanent home. There’s just so much going on and so much to get involved with, whether that be dancing, photography, the food scene, the Instagram community, or just the general perks of living in a vibrant city – galleries and museums, shopping and events. It helps narrow down the job search too.

So while my immediate future is a little uncertain (and having been progressing from one level of education to the next my whole life this definitely feels daunting at times), I have goals: to start a career in engineering, and to live in Bristol. Wish me luck!

Alexa

PS – I did write this back in November but my hopes have remained the same. I left my temporary job before Christmas as it stopped being worth my time. I have a couple of applications making progress so I am feeling a little bit closer to realising my goals. Only time will tell!