As your college career is nearing a close, decisions about the future will have to be made as you get closer to walking across the stage to receive your degree. Thoughts as to where you want to go and what you want to achieve will have to be made and time will needed to be spent making those decisions.
As you make your decisions as to what path you want to pursue next, don't forget the fun times that made your college experience and the friends you have made. In addition to deciding where to go next, take time to do the following:
1) Enjoy the simple aspects of college that made your experience fun- almost every college campus has a tradition or two that you may have taken part of (at Otterbein where I went, one of the most popular were late night doughnut runs to Schnieder's Bakery in Uptown Westerville). Take time to enjoy these simple pleasures a few more times before you graduate
2) Spend time with the people who became your friends during your college career - chances are, friendships made up a good part of your college experience and take time to hang out, spend time and socialize with those who helped make your time in school fun
3) Thank those who helped you along the way - take time to thank professors, mentors or people who gave you an internship during your college career and helped you out. A simple e-mail or a thank you note could go a long way
Showing posts with label senior advice. Show all posts
Showing posts with label senior advice. Show all posts
Saturday, May 14, 2011
Saturday, April 23, 2011
College Seniors: What Is It Going To Take To Reach Your Goals?
With spring rapidly approaching, decisions about your life after college will have to be made. Decisions as to where you want to go in life, what you want to achieve and where you want to live will have to be considered before you walk across the stage and earn your degree. These decisions may not be easy but taking the time to understand where you want to go can help you in the end. After you decide where you want to go, you have to ask yourself what is it going to take to reach your goals.
As you plan your life after college, take some time to determine where you want to be one year, five years and maybe even 10 years after graduating. Do you want to go back to school at one point? Do you want to be a manager for the company you work for? Do you want to work for a large sized company? Take several minutes to decide how you want to start off, where you want to be five years after that and what you want to achieve ten years down the road.
Once your goals are set, you need to ask yourself one simple question:
"What is it going to take to achieve these goals?"
Goals are always at the top of the cliff, however, you need to know how you are going to climb up the mountain to reach them. What steps will you need to take to get better at your job? What additional training or information will you need? It is questions like these that will help you plan the steps you will need to take to reach your goals and understand what it is going to take to reach your dreams.
For example, let's say you have a goal to become a ear, nose and throat doctor. What schools do you want to go to for medical school that will give you the best training before your residency? If so, how do you plan on getting into those schools? What score will you need on the MCATS to get in? These are all questions that will answer what it will take for you to reach that goal of becoming an ear, nose and throat doctor. After you answer these, you will have the plan set up in place to reach that goal and understand what it will take.
As your time is winding down in college, decisions will have to be made about your future and goals will need to be set. If you understand what you want to achieve, you will need to understand what you need to do to reach those dreams of yours.
As you plan your life after college, take some time to determine where you want to be one year, five years and maybe even 10 years after graduating. Do you want to go back to school at one point? Do you want to be a manager for the company you work for? Do you want to work for a large sized company? Take several minutes to decide how you want to start off, where you want to be five years after that and what you want to achieve ten years down the road.
Once your goals are set, you need to ask yourself one simple question:
"What is it going to take to achieve these goals?"
Goals are always at the top of the cliff, however, you need to know how you are going to climb up the mountain to reach them. What steps will you need to take to get better at your job? What additional training or information will you need? It is questions like these that will help you plan the steps you will need to take to reach your goals and understand what it is going to take to reach your dreams.
For example, let's say you have a goal to become a ear, nose and throat doctor. What schools do you want to go to for medical school that will give you the best training before your residency? If so, how do you plan on getting into those schools? What score will you need on the MCATS to get in? These are all questions that will answer what it will take for you to reach that goal of becoming an ear, nose and throat doctor. After you answer these, you will have the plan set up in place to reach that goal and understand what it will take.
As your time is winding down in college, decisions will have to be made about your future and goals will need to be set. If you understand what you want to achieve, you will need to understand what you need to do to reach those dreams of yours.
Saturday, February 12, 2011
Internship Advice: Take Time To Say Hello to Others
As a college student, getting the most out of your internship will be key. When you go to get experience and work for someone during this time, it's best to get to know the person you will be working for and the other people at the organization. One of the best ways to get to know others is to say hello and get to know these people.
When you are interning, it is easy to go in everyday, do what you need to accomplish, and then walk out everyday, however, that won't accomplish much. It won't give you the opportunity to meet others within the organization, will come across as if you aren't interested in meeting others and may make it hard for people to remember you.
During your internship, take time to not only say hello to the person you will be working for but the people he or she works with as well. It doesn't hurt to say good morning or good afternoon (depending on when you go in) to the other people in the organization. It shows you are interested in getting to know others in the organization, makes you a friendly face and more opportunities may arise from it later on.
By meeting others within the organization you are interning for, you may open up more opportunities later on. These people could become network contacts, references or may be able to provide different contacts within your industry. People are connected and the friendlier you are with those you will be working with, the easier it will be for these people to become network contacts later on. By taking moments to say hello and getting to know these people, more doors may open later on.
College internships are key but taking time to know the people in the organization is even more important. By saying hello and getting to know others, you never know what doors and opportunities may open up later on.
When you are interning, it is easy to go in everyday, do what you need to accomplish, and then walk out everyday, however, that won't accomplish much. It won't give you the opportunity to meet others within the organization, will come across as if you aren't interested in meeting others and may make it hard for people to remember you.
During your internship, take time to not only say hello to the person you will be working for but the people he or she works with as well. It doesn't hurt to say good morning or good afternoon (depending on when you go in) to the other people in the organization. It shows you are interested in getting to know others in the organization, makes you a friendly face and more opportunities may arise from it later on.
By meeting others within the organization you are interning for, you may open up more opportunities later on. These people could become network contacts, references or may be able to provide different contacts within your industry. People are connected and the friendlier you are with those you will be working with, the easier it will be for these people to become network contacts later on. By taking moments to say hello and getting to know these people, more doors may open later on.
College internships are key but taking time to know the people in the organization is even more important. By saying hello and getting to know others, you never know what doors and opportunities may open up later on.
Monday, February 7, 2011
College Junior and Seniors: Take Time To Teach The Freshmen and Sophomores A Thing or Two!
Being a college junior or senior means that your college career is coming to a close soon and plans to move on will have to be made. By the time you reach this point in your college career, there is a good chance you will have learned a lot about yourself, your skills set and may hold leadership roles in some of your extra curricular activities. If you take time to teach the freshmen and the sophomores you interact with a little of what you know, it can pay off in the long run and develop trust.
By taking a few moments to help out a college freshmen or sophomore with a common interest, you can not only build trust with that person but also develop a friendship as well. It really can mean a lot to someone if you take a few moments of your time to help them with a project, give a few pointers on getting an internship or taking a few minutes to help here and there.
During my freshman and sophomore years at Otterbein, the upperclassmen who stood out in a good way to me were the ones who took time to help others. It meant a lot to me that someone who was close to the end of his or her college career took time to talk, give me some pointers and I ended up developing some great friendships as a result of this kindness.
For example, when I was a freshman at Otterbein, a became really good friends with the girl who was the General Manager of the campus television station because she took time to sit and talk with me and learn more about what I wanted to do and get out of the program. This girl didn't have to talk to me at all but it meant a lot to me when she did and we had no trouble having a conversation. She helped give me some pointers on writing news stories, how to get involved with the station and the advice helped set the path for my college career. I am still friends with this girl as a result of her kindness and it meant a lot to me that she took the time to care.
A year later, I became one of the Assistant Promotions Directors for the campus radio station, WOBN-FM and had similar guidance from some of the juniors and seniors who worked at the station. The girl who was the webmaster took time to teach me how to develop promotional ideas for the station, I learned a lot from the General Manager by how she took time to interact with the other freshmen and sophomores at the station and it meant a lot when these two and a few of the other upperclassmen took time to share their knowledge with me. It showed me they cared, proved to me they wanted someone else to succeed and I am still friends with these people as a result. I will never forget the kindness they showed and took that with me for the rest of my college career.
As you are reaching the end of your college career, take time to help out others who are still learning the ropes. Taking time to show someone who is a freshman or sophomore something you learned along the way to help his or her college career will help you develop trust with these people and develop friendships. If you have gained the knowledge, don't be afraid to share it with someone who can benefit from it.
By taking a few moments to help out a college freshmen or sophomore with a common interest, you can not only build trust with that person but also develop a friendship as well. It really can mean a lot to someone if you take a few moments of your time to help them with a project, give a few pointers on getting an internship or taking a few minutes to help here and there.
During my freshman and sophomore years at Otterbein, the upperclassmen who stood out in a good way to me were the ones who took time to help others. It meant a lot to me that someone who was close to the end of his or her college career took time to talk, give me some pointers and I ended up developing some great friendships as a result of this kindness.
For example, when I was a freshman at Otterbein, a became really good friends with the girl who was the General Manager of the campus television station because she took time to sit and talk with me and learn more about what I wanted to do and get out of the program. This girl didn't have to talk to me at all but it meant a lot to me when she did and we had no trouble having a conversation. She helped give me some pointers on writing news stories, how to get involved with the station and the advice helped set the path for my college career. I am still friends with this girl as a result of her kindness and it meant a lot to me that she took the time to care.
A year later, I became one of the Assistant Promotions Directors for the campus radio station, WOBN-FM and had similar guidance from some of the juniors and seniors who worked at the station. The girl who was the webmaster took time to teach me how to develop promotional ideas for the station, I learned a lot from the General Manager by how she took time to interact with the other freshmen and sophomores at the station and it meant a lot when these two and a few of the other upperclassmen took time to share their knowledge with me. It showed me they cared, proved to me they wanted someone else to succeed and I am still friends with these people as a result. I will never forget the kindness they showed and took that with me for the rest of my college career.
As you are reaching the end of your college career, take time to help out others who are still learning the ropes. Taking time to show someone who is a freshman or sophomore something you learned along the way to help his or her college career will help you develop trust with these people and develop friendships. If you have gained the knowledge, don't be afraid to share it with someone who can benefit from it.
Wednesday, September 22, 2010
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.
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.
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