CAREER OUTLOOK
Starting a Career While in College T
he value of starting your career while in college simply can not be underestimated. This may seem counterintuitive to those still living by their parent’s dictum, “college should be the best years of your life.” Such wisdom would lead a student to believe that the very word “col- lege” is code for “party.” Those were the old days, when college enrollment was lower, jobs were more abundant, and “free love” was a common practice. This is a new era. Today’s graduates are competing on a playing field that is far from level. College applications submitted by high-schoolers
have connections and you don’t have a trust fund. This is your education, and you have the power to make it work for you. No matter what your discipline is, starting your career while in college is not only possible, it is invaluable to you as a professional.
Start close to home. Ask your professors if they know of any opportunities in your field. You would be shocked if you knew how many emails and letters deans and department chairs receive from potential employers. Many of these get discarded because educators assume that there is not enough interest from students to fill all of these positions. Prove them wrong. Use the university’s resources. Go to the career center at your school and find out about internships in your discipline. Also, look into assistance- ships with professors and special pro- grams. Most universities are chock- full of opportunities for employment that are related to majors.
If the traditional route is not for you, then maybe you need to check out local businesses. If you study landscape architecture, see if the local plant nurs- ery is hiring. If your major is business, check out local opportunities in sales. As long as you are working in an area related to your field, you are starting your career.
The worst thing you can do is to take a job that has nothing to do with your career goals. Although it may be fun to work in a kitchen with your buddies, it will do nothing for your re- sume later on unless you are attending culinary school. Employers look at your resume first. They are less concerned about your grade point average than
who have volunteered in Ghana over the summer are probably going to be considered ahead of the kid who spent his summer working at a burger joint. What kind of kid spends a summer in Ghana volunteering? The same kid who is going to be work- ing at an advertising firm while he earns his marketing degree. This is just another example of ambitious young people (often prompted by successful parents) doing what they have to do to get an “edge.”
While it may not seem fair, it is certainly true, and doesn’t mean that you are at a disadvantage because your parents don’t
102 USBE&IT I WINTER 2012
they are with what you have done that prepares you for the posi- tion you are applying for.
By beginning your career while in college, you will be a step ahead of the competition. Additionally, by exploring the field before you’ve graduated, you already know your strengths and weaknesses and can tell your interviewer as much. There is nothing more attractive to an employer than a candidate who demonstrates a history of taking initiative, knows where she stands, and is already versed in the trade. There is nothing to lose, and everything to gain from starting your career right now.
www.blackengineer.com
Page 1 |
Page 2 |
Page 3 |
Page 4 |
Page 5 |
Page 6 |
Page 7 |
Page 8 |
Page 9 |
Page 10 |
Page 11 |
Page 12 |
Page 13 |
Page 14 |
Page 15 |
Page 16 |
Page 17 |
Page 18 |
Page 19 |
Page 20 |
Page 21 |
Page 22 |
Page 23 |
Page 24 |
Page 25 |
Page 26 |
Page 27 |
Page 28 |
Page 29 |
Page 30 |
Page 31 |
Page 32 |
Page 33 |
Page 34 |
Page 35 |
Page 36 |
Page 37 |
Page 38 |
Page 39 |
Page 40 |
Page 41 |
Page 42 |
Page 43 |
Page 44 |
Page 45 |
Page 46 |
Page 47 |
Page 48 |
Page 49 |
Page 50 |
Page 51 |
Page 52 |
Page 53 |
Page 54 |
Page 55 |
Page 56 |
Page 57 |
Page 58 |
Page 59 |
Page 60 |
Page 61 |
Page 62 |
Page 63 |
Page 64 |
Page 65 |
Page 66 |
Page 67 |
Page 68 |
Page 69 |
Page 70 |
Page 71 |
Page 72 |
Page 73 |
Page 74 |
Page 75 |
Page 76 |
Page 77 |
Page 78 |
Page 79 |
Page 80 |
Page 81 |
Page 82 |
Page 83 |
Page 84 |
Page 85 |
Page 86 |
Page 87 |
Page 88 |
Page 89 |
Page 90 |
Page 91 |
Page 92 |
Page 93 |
Page 94 |
Page 95 |
Page 96 |
Page 97 |
Page 98 |
Page 99 |
Page 100 |
Page 101 |
Page 102 |
Page 103 |
Page 104 |
Page 105 |
Page 106 |
Page 107 |
Page 108 |
Page 109 |
Page 110 |
Page 111 |
Page 112 |
Page 113 |
Page 114 |
Page 115 |
Page 116 |
Page 117 |
Page 118 |
Page 119 |
Page 120