19/01/2019
1. Visit Our Career Office/Page
Our experts all agreed that it is never too early for you to visit the career office. The career services staff is trained to assist students in varying stages of the career exploration process. So whether you have a career path in mind or are still exploring majors, it’s in your best interest to meet with a career adviser.
A career adviser can work with you to determine your strongest interests and skills and then apply those to academics and/or professional careers. Aaron Basko, one of our experts, explains, “The earlier students connect with us, the more we can help them be confident that they are headed in the right direction.”
2. Get Involved on Campus
Getting involved on campus is not only a great way to meet people with similar interests, but it can also prepare you for your career. Expert Jene Kapela explains, “Extracurricular involvement is very important to employers and helps give you the experiences that can demonstrate your ability to be successful in the workplace.”
The opportunities for getting involved are endless and can be tailored to your interests and passions. Our experts suggest joining a club, volunteering in the community, playing an intramural sport or getting a part-time job on campus. By understanding how you most prefer to spend your free time, you can gain insight into what types of careers might be the most fulfilling.
3. Explore Your Interests
It is completely normal to be unsure about what you want to study, let alone what you want to do as a career. Take this time while you are in college to explore many different interests. Students usually have more flexibility in which classes they take during their freshmen and sophomore years, so take advantage of that freedom. One expert, Amy Bravo, suggests taking classes that are both interesting and can help strengthen your skills, regardless of your final major choice. Amy suggests marketing, writing, public speaking, and design courses.
Our experts also suggest doing informational interviews, volunteering, and shadowing to explore your interests in a practical, hands-on way. By asking the right questions and seeing the work first hand, you can get a better idea of the type of work that suits you best.
4. Take Advantage of ManCareer Job Consultancy Sankeshwar,
Most colleges have specific programs, events, workshops and/or classes for college freshmen. For example, Stuart Mease, an expert from Virginia Tech, explained that VT has a specific class called First Year Experience. During this class, students are introduced to the career services department, different majors, and the types of companies that recruit for those majors.
By seeking out these types of opportunities, you will be able to get to know the career services staff and learn about their resources in a very informal setting. Make sure to ask questions and introduce yourself to the career services staff to get the most out of the experience.
5. Be Comfortable with Change
Over 50% of students change their major while in college, and that doesn’t include the students who change their minds many times before ever declaring a major. Expert Richard Utecht urges you to “keep in mind that most people change careers several times after college. So change is one of the skills that you need to learn about and become comfortable with. It is the very essence of personal growth, and that should be your focus.” By recognizing this, you will be less stressed and worried about the inevitable changes that you face throughout your college career and beyond. Trust the process.
