This year,
UFS Career Services at the University of the Free State (UFS) will launch additional resources to help graduates transition to employment. Selecting and building a career can take many different routes – from straight and clear steps to colourful, dotted paths with many moves. Whichever route you take, Career Services has the tools to support you.
During a visit from
Dr Kate Daubney, an internationally recognised expert in careers education and employability, Career Services finalised a new career guidance programme designed specifically for students who are uncertain about their next steps after graduation. Many final-year students feel pressured to have their careers “figured out”. Rather than pushing students towards immediate decisions, the programme focuses on helping them plan their
next step – without framing this as a lifelong commitment.
The programme is aimed at students who do not yet have a clear career plan or who feel unsure about what to do after graduation. Students are grouped according to similar levels of career readiness, creating a safe and supportive learning environment where they can explore ideas, ask questions, and learn from one another.
Through guided discussion and practical activities, students recognise that career decision-making can be challenging or overwhelming, and that indecision is a normal part of career development. They learn new ways to think about careers and decision-making, and develop self-awareness, which is central to making good choices.
Reflecting on the impact of the collaboration,
Belinda Janeke, Head of UFS Career Services, highlighted the strategic value of working with Dr Daubney: “The work we have done with Dr Daubney helped us to progress in a much shorter period than would have been otherwise possible. The new career guidance programme allows us to work smarter with our time and reach a much larger group of students who currently have no clear career plans.”
The new career guidance programme will be officially launched in February, marking an important step forward in how UFS supports students who are still discovering their direction – and reminding them that “I don’t know yet” is a perfectly valid place to start.