The primary reason people attend college is to enhance their job opportunities and earning potential upon graduation. That said, finding a career is not as simple as getting your degree.
First and foremost, you should use your time in school to determine what you’re interested in and how that area of interest can help you attain employment once you enter the job market. From engineering to journalism, college will teach you the skills you need to become an appealing employee candidate.
Beyond choosing a major and university, however, there are steps you can take to make the transition from student to income earner easier.
Find a mentor
The Student Career Development Study discovered a majority of students reported having a mentor help them figure out how to get a job. Of these, 28 percent relied on a professor.
Depending on your major and college of choice, you will have a department head and student advisor to call on in addition to various professors. These men and women are an invaluable source of information regarding not only the subject you’re studying, but its real-world applications in the job market.
Utilize your time with these experts to uncover opportunities in everything from networking to internships. Mentors can also recommend appropriate student organizations to join that will bolster your resume.
In addition to providing work experience on your resume, internships offer numerous opportunities to network and learn firsthand how things are done in your field of study outside the classroom. They may also provide you with course credits.Pursue an internship
Internships are often unpaid, making them difficult to pursue for graduates in need of immediate income. However, they can also be the ideal way to get your foot in the door in an industry you want to work in.
Data from the National Association of Colleges and Employers found 56 percent of graduating seniors participated in at least one internship as of 2016. Of the forty-four percent of these internships that were unpaid, 72 percent offered course credit.
However, it was found that paid internships offered the most return on investment in terms of finding employment post-graduation. More than 52 percent of paid interns at for-profit companies received job offers, beating out the 46 percent of their class overall who could say the same.
Utilize your career services office
Seventy-nine percent of U.S. college graduates described their university’s career services office as either somewhat helpful, helpful or very helpful, according to Gallup.
What’s more, graduates who reported a high-quality experience with their career services office are 5.8 times more likely to strongly agree that their university prepared them for post-collegiate life.
Career services offices often provide counselors who can help you decide on a career path, assist with resume writing and job interview preparation, offer job opening and internship opportunities, and much more.
Data from the National Center of Education Statistics showed the employment rate is higher for those with increased levels of education. However, if you want to make your transition into the workforce as smooth as possible, consider the opportunities available to you as a student.
Visit MyDegree.com to discover more information about transitioning from college to a career.