Whether you’re graduating in June or beginning your studies this August, it’s never too soon to prepare for your career. Although 40% of KTH students have a job before graduation, many students use the months after graduating to apply for jobs. As a KTH student, there are many resources to use and actions you can take to pave the way for your future career:
NETWORKING
I know everyone brings up networking, but for an international student looking for jobs in a foreign market, it really is important. There are approximately 80,000 KTH alumni worldwide and 10 official alumni chapters, so in addition to the connections you make on campus, there will be many opportunities to connect with alumni working in your field already. I’m currently doing a lot of research for my own job applications; on LinkedIn, most companies have had at least one KTH alumni working there.
However, “networking” shouldn’t be only about short-term connections – it’s getting involved and building relationships over time too. Some amazing ways to do that include:
- Attend (and/or help organise) KTH career fairs
- Meet a mentor through the KTH Alumni Mentor Programme
- Follow/subscribe to companies you’re interested in and join recruitment events
ENTREPRENEURSHIP
Did you know that the founder of Spotify is a KTH alumnus? KTH is a proud supporter of innovation and entrepreneurship, so if that’s a future path you’re interested in, you’ll want to check out KTH Innovation. It gives students support in commercialising their business ideas, and over 14 percent of KTH alumni go on to start their own company.
DEGREE PROJECT
For most students, the final semester of studies is comprised of a degree project. It is common for students to do this in collaboration with a company, and it can be really beneficial for applied learning as well as future work opportunities. Each year, over 500 degree project proposals are posted on the KTH project portal by companies like Ericsson, SAAB and Scania. Over 20 % of the students get their first employment through their degree project.
Securing a degree project with a company or research team can be competitive, so it’s wise to start applying to companies with your proposal and keeping an eye on posted degree project positions several months in advance.
WHERE TO FIND JOBS TO APPLY TO
Most companies post open positions on their website, but of course, if you’re doing a broader search, sites like LinkedIn, Glassdoor, GraduateLand, and Indeed can be great starting points. I’d also recommend doing some Google searching to find industry-specific search engines for your specific area of study.
This KTH page can offer more inspiration for where to look for jobs. Resources are broken down into specific categories of work, from internships and traineeships to remote work and full-time positions.
RESIDENCE PERMIT EXTENSION
Did you know – after studying in Sweden as an international master’s student, you can apply for a special residence permit for 1-year to stay in Sweden and apply for jobs or PhD positions. As a non-EU/EEA student, this is a great opportunity that I’m already in the process of applying for. Although I’ve been applying to jobs on the side of working on my thesis, it’s nice to know I’ll have more time if I end up needing it.
AND MUCH MORE…
For other things like career coaching, lunch seminars, and the KTH career blog, check out KTH’s career page. Good luck!
// Claire