Career Planning
The only way to make college work for you in the long run is to use the academic learning,
practical experience, and important connections you have gained during your four years and
parlay them into a career that you’re passionate about. Aside from studying hard and doing
your best in your classes, there are several things you will want to consider doing while you
are still in college:
•
Find An Internship.
It’s a dirty little secret in the working world, but it’s the truth: even
so-called entry-level jobs often require you to have practical experience and on-the-job
training. So how does one get this experience? One common way to get this necessary
experience before you graduate is to invest your time in an internship.
An internship is a temporary, often unpaid position set up solely for the purpose of allowing
the intern to gain practical experience in a particular career area.
In addition to the experience, an internship will help you establish important connections
with people who will be able to provide references and letters of recommendation for you
when you start to look for your full-time career.
A strong letter of recommendation or a kind word on the phone to an interviewer from an
established person in your profession can mean the difference between getting the job of
your dreams or getting your resume shuffled to the shredding machine.
•
Visit Your Career Center.
Your campus most likely has an office full of dedicated
professionals whose sole purpose is to help you find an internship or a job after college.
At most schools, this is called the College And Career Development Center.
The career center will often deliver seminars on such topics as resume writing, interviewing
skills, and marketing yourself to the working world. They might host career networking
mixers where you can chat informally with people who already work in the career you are
planning to pursue.
Contact your campus’s career center to learn more about upcoming events or to get on an
email list to update you periodically.
•
Plan To Attend Career Fairs on Campus.
Career fairs are usually set up by your career
center and present you with a valuable opportunity to deliver your resume to many different
employers at once.
Visit each company’s booth that interests you, and talk to the representative as you drop off your
resume. Anything you can do to distinguish yourself from the other candidates milling around
the career fair will go a long way in making sure that your resume lands in the right hands.
Make sure to follow up with a short email to thank the person you spoke to for taking time
to talk to you.
COLLEGE SUCCESS TIPS
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