Learn about industry

When students are studying full-time they may not necessarily think about the industry or job market they will be entering. The primary focus is usually the immediate future and the immediate future is usually some deadline for an assignment or exam. It can be useful to be aware of what roles exist, have a sense of the responsibilities of each role, have an idea of which roles appeal to you and what are the skills employers typically request. It also helps to know about recent developments are in your field.

There are convenient ways to get this information. If you are a user of social media, then let social media work for you. On Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn you can like and follow thought leaders, groups, agencies and companies in your field. Subscribe to job alerts on recruitment websites or companies for which you would like to work. Some companies even offer programmes for recent graduates, so do a bit of research to see what opportunities may become available to you upon graduation. Of course there's always the traditional route of browsing your daily newspaper.

The suggestions may seem pretty obvious to some but they are often overlooked by many students simply because it's not the current focus. For my IT students here are a few recommendations to get started:

• Microsoft Trinidad and Tobago
• Trinidad and Tobago SQL Server User Group
• Trinidad and Tobago Computing Society
• Caribbean Jobs
• Government Human Resource Services