You’ll be surprised how many resources you have at your disposal in college when it comes to helping map your future career.
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Aside from making memories and enjoying the vibes, college is also the time to enter your serious mode as you prepare for your career. You are, after all, taking a course that you hope will parley to job options when you graduate. Even as early as when you’re a student, there are a lot of things you can do and access in college to help you on your journey to your working era.
And if you are unsure yet of what you want to do, college has resources to hopefully help make that path clearer. Don’t sleep on what your school has on offer in terms of career guidance because it lowkey does help. Below, check out a few useful tips on how you can make the most of the college-to-career pipeline.
PARTICIPATE IN COLLEGE CAREER FAIRS
More often than not, colleges/universities will hold at least one career fair during the school year, which makes for a great opportunity for getting your foot in the door of multiple companies and employers. Even if the jobs on offer are not of interest to you, just attending, collecting calling cards and company information, and sharing your information with HR representatives can be useful once you start the job hunt. Also, if companies or job-hosting platforms host talks or events in your school, go. You’ll never know what you’ll learn.
USE ON-CAMPUS SERVICES
Something that they don’t tell you in college is how much of a hassle it can be to get all those needed forms just to apply for a job. You either don’t know what you need or where to go. From NBI Clearance, PAG-IBIG, and more, it’s like a scavenger hunt out there. So, why not make the hunt easier by getting some required documents while on campus? Specifically, your school may offer on-campus services where you can to apply for certain requirements like SSS or TIN, and if that is the case, take the opportunity. Trust us, it will make your job-hunting era a little easier.
TAKE CLASSES THAT CAN GIVE YOU SKILLS RELATED TO THE CAREER YOU WANT
Sure, you can go through university in your live, laugh, love era and take classes that won’t give you a hard time. But college should also be a chapter to hone skills that could be useful for what career/s you’re eyeing. Your course and its related classes should be enough training, but to further sharpen your skill sets, take electives beyond your degree that you feel will prove helpful in the long run, whether that be in marketing, business, or everything in between.
MAKE THE MOST OF ORGS/OPPORTUNITIES
Maybe the BS Org life isn’t that bad after all. While it’s a running joke that students spend more time in orgs than in their studies, there is a benefit from immersing yourself in org work, especially if it’s related to potential career paths. Not only do you get experience, have something to put on your resume, and have a bit more clarity if something is right for you, but it also builds your hard and soft skills for your job. And if you aren’t the org type, check if your university offers other opportunities to get work experience or training.
ASK FOR HELP OR ADVICE
If you’re going through college and are still trying to figure out what exactly you want for yourself, it’s ok. There’s nothing wrong if you don’t have all the answers. It’s not expected that you have everything figured out right away. You’re still in school, after all, and there’s no problem with asking for help or advice from the people around you. Talk to upperclassmen or other students about their experiences or visit your school’s career office to see how they can help. You have these resources and services at your disposal, so use them. And at the very least, you’re building connections you can use down the line.
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