Yep, it's that time of year again. Grads frantically deciphering what they want to do and how they plan on doing it. It turns out three years isn't as long as you thought it would be when you were sending out those UCAS forms. As you may have gathered by now I am one of those frantic grads. However, I studied dance. At a University. Many of you will not find that too shocking but a large number of people seem to find that as incomprehensible as Stephen Hawking’s ‘A Brief History of Time.’ In fact, the most common responses to this revelation are (aside from the teacher comment): ‘can you really do a degree in that?’ or simply ‘do you just dance all day?’  Not forgetting the more absurd reactions such as the time someone asked me if there were other jobs in the dance industry aside from being an exotic dancer, or the look of shock on a peer’s face when she discovered I had to/could read a book. You see, the ‘frantic grad’ depiction is making much more sense now isn’t it.

But does being a dance student really set you aside from the crowd? Yes. Don’t worry though, that’s a positive. Despite what some people may think, a dance degree sets you up for a variety of different jobs. This is an industry with a  lot of different opportunities to offer which means you can choose your strengths within this field and pursue them. Had I studied History and French (my plan b) would I be in the same position? Would I know which industry I wanted to embark on, let alone how I wanted to service it? Like any other trade, dance is a multi faceted field which needs a range of  people and skills to keep it afloat. Sure, we will always need inspirational dance teachers, and my hat goes off to anybody who chooses to take on this challenge, but I am excited by the range of career paths I could explore.

At the moment I’m trying to see, learn and take in as much as I can. I am currently doing an internship with a company, helping out with their online marketing. This is one of the many avenues I see myself going down but I think it’s important not to restrict yourself at this stage in the game. Like I said, the beauty of this industry is that there’s a lot you can do with it, so stay open-minded. I’m very lucky in that I’ve been given the chance to not only contribute to this organisation through my internship, but that I am also able to shadow all aspects of their work. With each new aspect of this industry I see, the further I want to get involved with it.

Of course, a degree isn’t a magic ticket. Like with anything else, you have to throw yourself into it and earn your right to work in an industry that you love. That is certainly my plan, let’s see how it works out…..