By this point in the semester, most college freshmen have realized that high school is over. If they haven”t, they need to realize it soon.
Perhaps the biggest difference between high school and college life comes out during breaks from the actual classes.
In high school, most students spend their summer vacations free from the majority of responsibilities they have during the academic year. Sure, some students have summer jobs or prep work for courses they”ll take in the fall, but most of their time is spent basking in the sun or hanging out with their friends.
College is different. In college, if students are smart they spend nearly their entire summer working. Most of the time, students start their preparations for the summer now.
With the real world looming ahead in just a few short years or less, students should not waste the three months they have for summer break doing nothing. Whether it”s through an internship, research grant, another sort of job or researching graduate programs, students should use summer as an opportunity to build experience that will be relevant for their goals after graduation.
In 2014, the unemployment rate for college graduates was 5.6 percent. Among 22-year-old graduates who found jobs within three years, more than 50 percent of those jobs did not relate to the student”s area of study, according to an article from Bloomberg News.
If a student is down to their last summer or if it has already passed, they should already be thinking about life after they receive their bachelor”s degree. There is a lot to think about. After graduation, some students attempt to jump straight into the workforce, while others partake in internships or graduate programs.
There are a lot of options that await UI graduates after they walk across the Kibbie Dome stage, so now is the time for all students to consider what is best for them.
If a student”s hopeful field of employment doesn”t offer opportunities for internships, they can find another job or internship to help them build skills that will be useful in a future field.
That”s the whole point of internships – to apply knowledge from the classroom to the real world and to learn more skills from professionals.
However, they”re also about networking. Don”t underestimate the value of having professional connections and references.
Internships can lead to job offers from summers spent at the company, and employers are more likely to hire someone they know will do a good job.
Having extra experience during the summer gives students a huge leg up when job hunting.
Some students may be wondering why this is important information to know right now, in the middle of the fall semester. The tough truth is that now is the time to start thinking about it.
UI will hold its Career Fair Wednesday in the Kibbie Dome, which is a great chance for students to learn about the internship, graduate school and career opportunities available to them. Soon after that, applications for those opportunities will be due.
It”s never too soon for students to be thinking about the next steps to their futures. Research the qualifications needed for entry-level jobs in a desired field, get in contact people who have already gone through the job-search process and never give up the hunt.
– EB