College Seniors: Take Advantage of Opportunities, Take Time To Help Others and Enjoy the Ride

For many of you who will be graduating college soon, the thought of leaving a fun environment for the so called "real world" can be intimidating. Leaving what is comfortable and joining the work force to start your career is scary and difficult but not impossible. Being able to adjust to your life outside of college can start with the internships, networking and friendship you make during your senior year.

In several months, many of you will have to venture out and find your first job. There will be job interviews, resumes, handshakes, and lots of different pieces that play part in the job seeking process. Finding a job right out of college can be difficult but isn't impossible.

During your senior year, take time to intern and network with professionals in the area. Internships provide valuable real life experience that can put you a step ahead of others in the job search process. This also provides you an opportunity to become friends and meet mentors who can serve as references and guides later on during your search. Some campuses hold different networking events where you can meet professionals from the area. Taking advantage of these events can help you meet people who can help mentor your along the way and may even have a position available when you graduate. When presented the opportunity, take the time to intern and network with professionals who can guide you down your path of success.

In addition to networking, take the opportunity to mentor younger students in your field of study. At this point, you've had almost four years to develop the talents you had when you came in as a freshman and taking the time to help others will help develop relationships and teach you to be a team player. Many of the freshmen and even sophomores appreciate a senior taking the time to share knowledge, expertise and advice. Many of them have goals like you have at one point or another and they will never forget the friend who took the time to help them along the way.

By taking the time to mentor, it will also provide you with friendships and a reason to keep in touch with others as you make the transition into your professional career. Being able to talk to these friends on the phone, online, on Facebook, etc. will help relieve some of the stress and anxiety you might be feeling from leaving college. It also means a lot to these people that someone is taking time out of his or her day to keep tabs on how they are doing and it will be appreciated in the long run.

During your senior year, you will have opportunities to intern, network and mentor so take advantage. The relationships you build through interning, networking and mentoring others can help make the transition easier and prepare you for life outside of college.

College Students: Take Time To Support Other Campus Functions and Events

Taking time to learn the campus and the environment is important during freshmen year. It's important to learn what events are popular, how to get involved, and meeting people at different types of functions. It's easy to stay within your comfort zone but take time to enjoy a diverse group of activities. Similar to the phrase "never judge a book by its cover," never judge an event by the advertisement on the outside.

During your freshmen year and beyond, take time to experience different events you may not have gone to otherwise before starting college. If your school has a big arts program, take time to see the musicals, plays and other instrumental performances on campus. If your school has a big fine art program, take time to visit student art exhibitions. If you have never really been to a sports event, take time to go to a football game, basketball, etc. Going to these events will help take you out of your dorm room and help you interact with others on campus. You may also be surprised as to what you might find enjoying!

In addition t0 providing different ways to socialize with others, taking time to experience events can serve as a pleasant diversion and method to relax. For example, during my time at Otterbein College, taking time to watch some of my friends perform in a instrumental concert or one of the musicals served as a nice diversion. It was always fun to do something different, it was an opportunity to support my friends and it helped make my experience on campus more meaningful. For me, going to these events also served as a getaway and helped me wind down when I needed it the most.

When you are looking for something to do, consider going to events that might be outside your normal interest level. You may find it relaxing to experience something else your campus has to offer and helps you support another group of people. Taking time to enjoy these events can help make your experience more meaningful and provide different ways to socialize as well.

College Students: Plan Your Four Years and What You Want To Accomplish

If you are a college student, your college career will bring you valuable experience not only in the classroom but with what you do outside of the classroom as well. You have four years ahead of you to build up real life experience for potential employers when you graduate and it's important you make the most of it at this time. The time you spend inside and outside of the classroom, the activities you are involved with and the relationships you build will set the foundation you need to succeed when your college career is over.

Even though it takes time, planning your four years of college and what you want to accomplish is important for success in the "real world." Taking time to determine where and how many internships to do, what activities to get involved in and the types of relationships you want to build will help you make the transition from college to the working world.

When making up your plan, consider the following:

1) What Organizations on Campus Can I Be Apart of That Can Provide Experience Related to my Major? - This will help you get experience and connections you will need when interviewing for internships and possibly a job later on. This will provide you with experience you can use to prove to others you have the skills necessary for a particular internship or job. Getting involved in these organizations can also put you in touch with classmates or other connections on campus.

2) What Types of Internships Can Help Me Get the Experience I Need? Not every major is the same but the purpose of getting an internship is to get real-life experience in a learning setting. Don't simply take an internship just to get a bullet point on the resume; get as much experience and knowledge from that internship so it can boost your skill set for later on. Take time to determine which types of internships would benefit you the most and figure out a way to apply for them.

3) How Can I Learn to Network With Professionals in My Field of Study? The relationships you build in college can help open the doors for internships and even jobs later on down the line. Learn to network and find different ways to connect with professionals in your field while you are a student. Not many students take the time to ask professionals for advice and the people you will want to build relationships have been in your shoes before.

4) What Do I Want My Resume to Look Like My Senior Year? This will help map out where you want to go and how to get there. It might seem like a bizarre question but this will help you plan where you want to go.