Ever wonder how you can gain experience while you’re attending school? I know it can seem tough when having a busy schedule with classes, but it’s totally doable! Often times students become frustrated when thinking about what to put on their resume because they haven’t done anything besides take classes in college. Take my advice and get involved! Check out the list below for how to gain more experience while you’re in college.
1. Start in the office of your college or university’s career services office. Use your career services office resources to help you step foot in the right direction to finding an on campus job or internship.
2. Partake in one or more internships. By participating in internships you gain valuable experience and ultimately they help you to decide whether you want to stay on that career path or possibly switch if you aren’t enjoying it. OSU’s Spring Career Fair takes place on Tuesday, April 23rd, 2013 and it is a great place to find out about internship opportunities!
3. Find a job on campus. Several places hire students on campus such as the dining centers, residence halls, the recreation center, advising offices, etc. Check out “On Campus Jobs” section of the Career Services website for strategies to finding one at OSU.
4. Volunteer. This will help you to gain valuable experience, make a difference in the community, and to gain new network contacts. Check out the Center for Civic Engagement at OSU for volunteer opportunities.
5. Join student organizations. Every college has multiple organizations, so find one or two that interest you. They often help students gain management and leadership skills while collaborating with peers to organize various projects.
6. Capitalize on class projects. Students often downplay the importance of class projects to prospective employers. The end product can often be used in a portfolio to show at an interview and large, term length projects show dedication and organization skills to the employer as well. Check out this example of how to demonstrate class projects on your resume.
7. Undergraduate research. Try to participate in research in your academic department to learn more about what it is they study. This is extremely beneficial to students looking into applying/attending graduate school.
References:
http://www.career.vt.edu/Experience.html
http://www.quintcareers.com/15_college-work-experience_tips.html
Posted by Carly Larson, Career Services Assistant