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Lizzie Darlington

March 27th, 2017

How to balance your studies with your career plan

2 comments

Estimated reading time: 5 minutes

Lizzie Darlington

March 27th, 2017

How to balance your studies with your career plan

2 comments

Estimated reading time: 5 minutes

Balancing life in modern day London can be a challenge at the best of times. Living in a city that’s constantly in a state of hustle and bustle, with so much to do and so much time needed to do it, things can become a little overwhelming. On top of that all of you have your LSE studies to manage and, for many of you, the jobsearch process and career planning to add in to the equation too.

So how can you do well in your studies and manage the jobsearch and career planning successfully, while also making the most of the fact you’re studying in one of the most vibrant cities in the world?

1. Keep things in perspective

Remember your number one priority during your studies must be, without question…your studies! You are here to achieve a good degree at a top university and you won’t be doing yourself any favours by creating a pile of half finished application forms and good employer guides which hinder your ability to achieve your full academic potential. It’ll be counterproductive and potential employers don’t want you to let your studies suffer in your attempts to impress them. Anything worth doing is worth doing well and that applies to both your academic career and your jobsearch.

2. Less is more

Less is most definitely more when it comes to writing good applications. You’re far more likely to succeed if you complete a small number of well-tailored, well researched applications than if you spend an inordinate amount of time churning out application after application. By doing this you’ll not only stand a better chance of success in being offered an interview but you’ll also leave yourself more time to focus on your studies and significantly reduce the mental stress you might otherwise be placing yourself under.

3. The bigger picture – think long term

Again, keep things in perspective, you’re not going to be without a job forever! You’re all bright people with good academic backgrounds – you wouldn’t be at LSE if that wasn’t the case. It is not the end of the world if you don’t have your ideal job lined up when you leave here – many students find their ideal job a a few years down the line after they have tried a variety of internships and roles. It’s ok to concentrate on getting the best results you can in your exams and any written work you submit and then turning your attention to executing a well thought out job search and career plan once you’ve finished. We’ll be running lots of careers seminars to help you develop your skills and applications after exams so make sure to make the most of them!

4. Allocate some ‘down time’

Whilst you may feel like you have no spare time and have to spend all your hours studying and thinking about your job applications this is neither true nor productive. You’ll perform far better in both if you allow yourself time to relax and refresh. Create a clear timetable allocating yourself set times to study, set times to focus on any career planning you may be doing (though remember point two above – less is more), and set times to have ‘down time’ where you do whatever works best to relax you so you can then return to your studies and jobsearch with renewed vigour. There’s no right or wrong as to what this should look like as everybody relaxes in different ways whether it’s through exercise, socialising, visiting places in London, watching films, cooking a nice meal etc. It’s vital that you take this time for yourself to maintain your health and well-being, and ultimately balance your studies and your career planning and job search as effectively and successfully as possible.

5. Remember LSE Careers is open all summer

We’re open all summer, offering one-to-one appointments and events during Summer Term and throughout the holidays. Come and see us because we can help whether you know what you want to do or not, and don’t worry if you’re not in London at any stage because you can book Skype or telephone appointments too by emailing us at careers@lse.ac.uk. We look forward to answering any questions you have!

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About the author

Lizzie Darlington

Posted In: Career planning | Featured | LSE Careers

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