Self employment
Increasingly graduates are starting their own business as their chosen career path, rather than pursuing the traditional graduate recruitment job, perhaps seeing self-employment as a more flexible way to live and earn. One of the keys to success is creating or nurturing your enterprising streak - thinking creatively, using your initiative and making the most of opportunities to learn and develop new skills.
Be Enterprising
Perhaps you are thinking of starting your own business sometime in the future. If this is the case, now is the time to build on your skills and seek opportunities to widen your experiences - become enterprising! This may simply be to undertake some part-time work in a small business so that you can see first-hand what it is like to run a company. Alternatively it may be to participate in activities such as SIFE (Students in Free Enterprise) projects, volunteering or the Manchester Leadership Programme, so that you can start thinking more like an entrepreneur and spot opportunities to become more enterprising.
You can also learn about how businesses operate by undertaking one of the Enterprise course units offered at undergraduate level by The Manchester Enterprise Centre. They also offers a variety of enterprise-related postgraduate courses and workshops.
Look out for 'enterprising' activities on our Events pages and also on the Manchester Undergrad Careers Blog. For inspiration, have a look at the Enterprising students and alumni pages.
There is now, more than ever, a culture of enterprise and entrepreneurship in the UK. Recent BBC television series, such as the Dragon's Den and The Apprentice, have provided insight into the pressures of impressing potential backers and working effectively as a team to achieve success.
There is also:
- Enterprise UK, which is the national campaign to unlock the UK's potential to be enterprising and progress business ideas.
- The National Council for Graduate Entrepreneurship, which promotes enterprise and entrepreneurship among graduates.
- The Prince's Trust, which helps young people access training, mentoring and financial assistance to realise their potential.
- The University has its own Manchester University Entrepreneurs Society, with events and activities for budding student entrepreneurs.
To hear more about all things 'enterprising' throughout the year, send your contact details to enterprise@manchester.ac.uk.