Why are you in college? For most people, it is the path to a better job. You need good grades to impress your future employers, but once you begin applying, you’ll hear something like this:
Student: I’d like to apply for this position.
Employer: What have you done to prepare yourself for this position?
Student: I have a 4.0 GPA in my major.
Employer: Great. And what experience do you have?
Student: I studied my way through college to get my 4.0 GPA.
Employer: But what can you do for us? What have you done?
Student: I’ll work very hard.
Employer: We are looking for someone who has proven themselves through action, not just studying. Do you have any experience?
Student: No, but I’ll do a great job for you.
Employer: Thanks, but we need people who already have experience.
Don’t despair! Look into your college’s Career Center, Experiential Learning Center, or other office specializing in finding work for students. There are opportunities for students to get experience in the “real world” while they are still in college. Get that experience, and you’ll have the edge on others who have just studied or spent their time on non-work activities.
A few of the opportunities we’ll explore in future posts are internships, externships, co-ops, work-study programs, and even volunteer opportunities.
Student Success Strategy #27: Experience is necessary. Find resources on your campus to plan your path to a professional position before you are graduating!
So true. There is a point when, as students, we need to stop planning to do things and start doing them. We need to stop thinking about who we want to be and actually be that person. Great advice!
Thanks for your comment. I know too many outstanding students who are only that – outstanding students. They don’t have any idea how to operate in the world of work.