by Michelle Wilkinson

Created on: November 20, 2009

As the job market contracts it is worth considering how to increase your employability, since employers are going to be looking for candidates with qualities and attributes that make them stand out. Going to university can be one way of improving your job prospects, since you come away with a degree and other experiences that you may not have had if you had gone straight into full-time employment. Some occupations are restricted to graduates, and thus deciding to go to university can increase your employment opportunities, so that you are able to secure well-paying, high-status jobs that you wouldn't have without a degree.

There are some careers which require you to possess a specific degree so that if you intend to become a social worker it helps to take a social work course, but other careers do not require you to take a degree in any specific subject; but do require you to possess a degree. If you are hoping to become a civil servant you tend to find that higher level jobs are restricted to those possessing degrees, which is often the case in private companies as well. Going to university therefore can help you get a better paid job that you are actually interested in pursuing, rather than being stuck in a dead-end job.

There are other advantages of going to university, which are also influencing more and more people to pursue a university education. At university you get to meet an incredibly diverse bunch of people, whether through your studies or by joining various university societies. There are lots of clubs, societies, and activities you can get involved in, so that university is not only about improving your knowledge of a subject and obtaining a degree, but can actually be a lot of fun, as well.

You will find yourself making lots of new friends at university, and you can find yourself open to new ideas that had previously never entered your mind. There are often lectures open to all and various campaigns on campus, and thus you can find yourself participating in trying to make the world a better place.

Going to university also gives you the chance to live away from home and learn to manage by yourself. Without parents to tell you what to do you have the freedom to do what you want, when you want. You therefore start to feel like a 'proper' adult.

There are many advantages associated with going to university, especially in relation to your job prospects. The fact that you get to meet people, experience new things and fend for yourself shouldn't be overlooked, though, as most people enjoy their university experience immensely.

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