By: Tehila Sole
When you’re in college, it’s hard to imagine that in just a few short years you’ll be out in the real world with a job and no summer breaks. Maybe a little more daunting than not having your summers free, is finding a job and figuring out what it is you want to do post-grad. As someone who goes to college in New York, this statement rings more true than ever, because I feel as if college has been a competition from the first day of school. It can be very hard to take yourself out of this mindset, while also keeping your goals in focus, so I’ve compiled a list of tips and resources to help you find your way (and maybe your dream job) while in college, so you’ll be set to go by the time May rolls around.
1. Become The Queen Of Linkedin
One of the best pieces of advice I received as a college freshman was to set up
a LinkedIn account. When you create a LinkedIn early, you create the opportunity to grow over time, adding along more experiences and sharing different achievements that you might have overlooked if you set it up later on.
LinkedIn is also a great way to connect with people in the industries you’re interested in, see what other people in that industry are doing, and even learn what kind of jobs are available and you may be interested in post-grad.
One feature I love is going to the ‘people’ section of a company that I’m interested in, and seeing who from that company went to my university. This way, I’m more likely to connect with them!
2. Perfect Your Resume
Creating and updating your resume is extremely important. Even if the only
experiences you have were working as a babysitter or at a camp, find ways to make that reflect your best qualities, such as being able to manage stressful situations or take control of a group.
Make sure you are finding the qualities and skills within your experiences that may pertain to specific jobs. For example, if you're applying to become a social media marketing intern but the only experience you have is coaching tennis, explain how you are proficient in time management and long-term planning or how you have clear and efficient communication skills.
3. Utilize Job Services
There are so many great companies that are focused on helping women grow
their platforms and be set up for success in the workplace. Intern Queen, Hercampus and InfluenceHer are all great examples!
Intern Queen is a great place to make connections, meet other young women in your industry, and find internships and positions that you may not have heard about otherwise. I attended their in-person event in New York last summer, and am still in contact with the people I met there.
If You’re interested in writing, HerCampus has a blog that is run by other young women in college, and Influence Her Collective is a great place to start if you are an aspiring content creator on a college campus!
4. Make New Connections
Meeting new people and finding different ways to connect with them is one place that
you may not think of firsthand, but it is often how people are offered jobs. When someone is looking to hire for a position, they will often prefer people they know or are familiar with, over someone they may not know.
Now, this doesn’t mean you have to become best friends with everyone, but finding common ground, or expressing interest in someone's field is a great place to start. Don’t be afraid to reach out to people on social media (or LinkedIn) to ask questions about their jobs or to meet up for a coffee. You never know when this may work out for the better!
One of the best tips I was given is to never close a door. If you are out at a restaurant or you make a friend at the grocery store, take their business card. Even if that person doesn't do anything remotely close to what you see for yourself in the future, for all you know they are one step away from someone who is and can help you.
5. Create Your Own Opportunities
You never know what you may learn or fall in love with. While you have the
chance, join clubs and try on different hats to see what feels best. You may realize you like something you never considered, or even learn that what you thought you wanted is not the best fit for you after all.
6. Be a "YES" Girl
You never know what you may learn or fall in love with. While you have the
chance, join clubs, and try on different hats to see what feels best. You may realize you like something you never considered, or even learn that what you thought you wanted is not the best fit for you after all. You can't resist something that you've never even had the opportunity to try. For all you know, your dream job is actually something you never knew existed.
7. Take Your Time And Breathe
Everything comes and goes. Your time is precious, and stressing yourself out will
not be of any benefit to you (this coming from a serial overthinker). Things will figure themselves out, and you just need to follow the pattern of the universe, Enjoy the ride and BREATHE! You’re going to be just fine. <3
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