College Career Pointers
College will teach volumes to apply in the real world. Actually, there’s a chance you will learn something new every day. Some of this knowledge will be purely practical, while other information will prove to be more inspirational, and tactical. You’ll learn when you’ve “had enough” (literally and figuratively). You’ll learn how to pay bills, manage your check book and monitor college savings. Most importantly, you’ll learn there are great mentors and friendships that will last a lifetime. As you experience the ups and downs of college life, take what you learn and store it for a day when you can apply it to the life that awaits you post-college.
What follows is practical advice on making the transition to the real world; Diploma in hand, the world is your oyster.
A Major Means a Career
If you’re a junior and have yet to decide your major, it’s time to get with the program. Don’t become overwhelmed and over-stressed thinking about it, but certainly don’t develop the “whatever” attitude either (this lackadaisical approach will only carry over into life, post-graduation). Instead, put positive energy into exploring your talents, interests and aptitudes. With a little proactive energy, you could have a career and job waiting for you.
What Should I Be When I Grow Up?
If you have a major, but it happens to be middle of the road, so to speak, it can be an issue for some soon-to-be graduates. Suppose your degree is in business communications, the potential problem with this degree is that it gives you a million ways to go-which can be exhilarating and overwhelming all at once.
Before you leave your college campus, take the following steps:
Visit your Campus Career Center
Go to your college’s career center, and make an appointment with a career counselor. Take some career and aptitude tests. These tests will provide you with tangible direction, identifying your strengths, weaknesses and interests. You might even find the results will pinpoint a career you never anticipated that will encompass all your passions and interests. This test taking experience should leave you feeling enthusiastic and proactive, knowing you have a solid sense of purpose and direction with regard to your career calling.
Scan Your Rolodex
In four years, hopefully you’ve compiled a list of professional contacts, such as mentors, bosses, coaches, professors, residential assistants, academic deans, etc. Use these wonderful people to aid you in your career search. Most often, these people will find it flattering and worthwhile to help provide assistance to a young person trying to get on the right track in the working world. Give these folks a call and ask if you can meet for lunch, or if they might have time for a quick interview. After they say yes (and they will), compose a list of questions. Go in and have a conversation about “a day in the life” in his/her profession. Ask them for the good, the bad, and the ugly. This experience will enlighten you to potential career options, and streamline your career path.
Get Your Feet Wet
One way to transition into the working world smoothly is to parlay summer work, internships, and campus volunteer work into full-time work. With volunteer work, remember you are working for a good cause and leveraging mentors in the process. If you enjoy the work, it might be your ticket to a rewarding 8-to-5 career, post college. Last but certainly not least, one of the most beneficial aspects of internships and summer work is that they provide perspective on day-to-day life. This is critical because it will either turn you on to the profession, or it will make you realize exactly why it’s not for you.