If you are a college student and you want to get the most out of your degree, there are some things you may be able to do to assist yourself. With more employers who want college grads with translatable skills in the workplace, you should think of college as your ticket to prepping for your career. Whether you are an eLearner who is earning her degree online or a traditional college student attending a physical school, here are 4 tips that may help you prepare for your future job.
Your major/minor. Your major and minor are two areas in which you have control over when in college. While your parents may have always dreamed of having a lawyer in the family, if you have zero interest in law and you enroll in every elective course that could prep you for a law career, you may want to pause and do some soul searching. What is it that you are passionate about? Do you have more than one interest? For example, if you are a numbers person and you get excited about criminal justice classes, why not consider combining both interests in a forensic accounting degree? You may also want to consider a major in accounting and a minor in criminal justice. Try and find ways to incorporate your passions into your degree program. Classes like public speaking and writing courses are also great options for any degree path since they may convert to usable skills later in the workplace.
Network. Networking is a big buzzword today. In college, you have many opportunities to do so. Set up your LinkedIn profile—it is a professional networking site unlike the more casual Facebook—and begin inviting contacts. Professional networking does not mean hanging out with your buddies at the local dive bar and posting drunken photos of yourself on Twitter. It does entail getting to know your professors better by visiting them during office hours, chatting with your TAs so that you are more than just a face in an intro class, and linking up with peers that have professional interests similar to yours.
Work. Working is important in order to help you appreciate the meaning of a dollar to help prep you for your future employment. Whether it is a part-time job, participating in a work-study program, or interning over the summer, all of these activities might involve soft skills like communicating verbally and in writing, interacting with other people in a professional manner, and maybe even becoming more comfortable during the interview process.
School resources. Make the most of what your college has to offer you. Most schools typically have a career resource center where you could receive free career counseling and maybe even take tests that could highlight your strengths and interests. Your college may also have a gym. Working out and getting rid of some of the stress of juggling classes with work and your social life could be beneficial to your overall well-being. If you begin healthy habits in college, they may carry over when you begin your career after graduation.
There are many ways you can make the most of your college career. By doing so, you could be setting yourself up for college and future career success. Try to incorporate these tips into your college life so that you might be better prepared for your job after graduation.
How else can you make the most out of your degree? Share with us below.
About the Author: Pamela Rossow is a freelance writer who works with higher education clients such as eLearners. She is a native South Floridian who enjoys photography, literature, and hockey. You can follow her on Google+.
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