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CollegiateParent
One of the smartest things students can do this fall is to drop by the campus career center.
“Wait a minute,” you might be thinking. “I haven’t even picked a major! I have no idea what I want to do after college.” All the more reason to take advantage of your school’s awesome and FREE career services. With AI rapidly changing the world of work, entry-level positions in particular, professional career guidance has never been more essential for students of all years.
College career advising is personalized, and staff will meet you wherever you are, whether you’re still exploring majors and possible careers or are ready to research specific industries and practice for job interviews. You’ll want to get to know advising staff in person, but you can start by browsing the career services website. Try out online assessment tools and activities to learn more about your skills, interests, values, and personality and the majors and careers that might suit you.
Pro Tip: Check the career services website regularly and follow them on social media to find out about upcoming events and programs.
A typical college career center offers:
→ Virtual and in-person appointments with advisors specializing in different academic/professional areas. Peer (fellow student) career advisors may also be an option.
→ Curated AI resources and online tools for exploring majors and careers.
→ A calendar of workshops, panels, job fairs, and industry nights.
→ Access to your school’s alumni network — the inside track to setting up informational interviews to learn about jobs and industries you’re interested in.
→ Customized industry and skills reports so you know which skills you need to cultivate to be competitive in a chosen field.
→ Help with resumés, cover letters, interview prep, salary negotiations, and more.
→ Free professional photos for your Handshake and LinkedIn profiles.
With so many new experiences, many first-time college students don’t prioritize career-related activities, but the first year of college is the perfect time to start career preparation. Here are five steps to take.
It’s important to build a solid academic foundation as a first-year student. If your school requires general education courses, use them to hone your study skills and boost your GPA right from the start. Work with your academic advisor, and if there’s time before declaring a major, try a class or two first to make sure it’s a good fit. Talk to upper-level students in the majors you’re considering to hear what their experiences have been like. Find out more about Choosing a Major in the Age of AI on page <OV>.
Clubs and student organizations are a great way to have fun and become part of a community, but they’re also chances to develop teamwork, organization, and leadership skills and make friends with older students with shared interests who can mentor you. An on- or off-campus job, volunteer position, or service learning class can expose you to career possibilities you may not have considered and help you begin building a professional network.
Even if you’re not ready to apply for a job or internship, you can go to job fairs to see how they work and collect information. Make note of which companies recruit at your school, the positions they’re hiring for, and the required qualifications (major, GPA, year in school, past experience, etc.). Don’t assume that companies and orgs won’t hire first-year students for summer internships! Many of them do.
These activities can provide a genuine sense of what a particular job is like and help you gain confidence with interviewing. The career center can connect you with opportunities or you can tap into your own family and friends network. You can also make connections on social media, so create a LinkedIn profile and use platforms like Instagram and TikTok to follow businesses that interest you.
Colleges partner with Handshake to share school-specific information about career events, jobs, internships, on-campus employer visits, and more. Create a profile and download the Handshake app to have this resource at your fingertips.
It’s time to put what you’ve learned about yourself and your goals into action.
→ Continue attending campus career events and join professional organizations related to your career interests.
→ Seek job shadowing experiences and continue networking.
→ Take on a leadership role in a student organization, get a part-time job that lines up with a possible career, and apply for summer internships. Relevant professional experiences are a main reason one candidate gets hired over another.
→ Use career services tools to tailor cover letters for specific job applications and also to keep your resumé current — highlight relevant skills for the work you want.
→ Regularly update your LinkedIn and Handshake profiles.
→ Practice for interviews with career center staff, a trusted friend, or with an AI mock interview tool. Get feedback!
→ If you’ve identified the post-college job you want, request a personalized skills report so you know what employers look for when hiring for that role.
→ Considering graduate school? Get guidance from career services about preparation and timelines.
AI tools can help you practice for interviews and polish your resumé, but your personality and path are unique and no chatbot can take the place of a dedicated career advisor. Get to know the staff and resources at career services! They’ll be there for you through graduation — and beyond.
– By CollegiateParent with contributions from Tami Campbell, Mindy East, and Suzanne Shaffer
