You may think, how can I make myself more marketable post-graduation? If you
guessed a good academic record, you are partially correct. Strong school
performance is no longer the main quality that employers look for in potential
employees. Yep, you guessed it, gaining experience has become the key to making
you a competitive candidate for your desired positions. Gaining experience
allows you develop the skills that are necessary for success within your future
career. As you are building up your resume, employers will be able to see what
you have completed and how your experience makes you the perfect candidate. Many
of your experiences will also allow you to meet other professionals or
coworkers that will create a good network to help you pursue your desired
career. A managing director with High Fliers Research reported that experience
is just as important as gaining a college degree at this day in age. Now you
are thinking, where do I start? This will depend on your interests and what
will be most beneficial toward your career goals. Here are various ways you can
gain experience.
Internships
Internships allow you to
experience typical responsibilities and gain a better understanding of your
desired career field. Internships are typically outside of the classroom and an
intern is supervised within their work environment. A good time to complete an
internship is during summer break as this allows you to work with a company or
organization for an appropriate amount of time. With this professional
development opportunity, employers are more likely to pick a potential
candidate with an internship experience than a candidate without one. Selected
majors and graduate programs require internships for course credit, which you
would need to consult the university in order to complete. Visit jobs.auburn.edu to connect with employers
and apply for internships.
Campus Involvement
Being involved on campus will
help you develop the transferable skills that you can bring into your future
career. Examples of these skills can include good communication, motivating leader,
team-oriented, organized, dependable, problem-solving, and many, many, more. Whether
it’s being a Morale Captain for Dance Marathon or being a committee member with
University Program Council (UPC), any type of campus involvement can give you
the opportunity to gain these universal skills that employers want to see. Visit
auburn.edu/involvement for a list
of organizations you can join, and more details on how to get involved.
Job Shadowing
Job shadowing includes observing
a professional in your desired career field. You are able to walk through a
“typical day on the job” with this competent worker who will guide you through
their workday and give you any advice about their profession. This also gives
you the opportunity to see your desired position in a realistic setting. Not
only does it give you the opportunity to gain experience, but it may serve as a
deciding factor in terms of continuing to pursue this career, or potentially
choosing a new one. Make sure to do your research before your shadowing and come
up with a few questions to ask the professional at the end of the day.
These
are just a few different opportunities, so make sure to visit
auburn.edu/career/experience to get more information on different ways you can gain
experience and become a successful professional in the work field. If you would
like to talk more about gaining experience, please feel free to come into our
office and meet with a Career Counselor during our office hours. Remember, get
started now so you can create a successful future!
Post by: Kaela Jimenez
Career Center Graduate Assistant
Graduate Student in Counseling
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