Aug
21
When I started my senior year in college (about a year ago), getting a job was the last thing I wanted to think about. Despite my efforts to put it off, I, like most college seniors, eventually had to go through the process. Below are some of the biggest issues I had with the whole thing along with some advice- not really tips on how to get a job so much as some general misconceptions people have before they get into the thick of things.
It takes up too much time while in school!
Senior year courses are difficult enough as it is and besides, it’s your last year of college- you want to be living it up with friends, not off worrying about your resume. The truth is that finding a job does take up some time, but it’s not as bad as it seems. More importantly if you start early and do it in bits you’ll barely notice. If you keep putting everything off (like I did), eventually it’s going to catch up to you, and it’ll be a lot more stressful when it does. And when last semester of college rolls around, you’ll want that extra time.
If I have no idea what I want to do, how can I start looking for a job?
I actually used this as an excuse to put off my job finding process for a while, telling myself it would just be a waste to start without knowing what I wanted. This is WRONG. It doesn’t just magically come to you (even if it may seem like that for some people), and if you don’t know, now’s the time to start looking. Talk to people, try out some personality/career tests, and get a sense for what’s out there (there’s a lot). Even before you’ve narrowed down an area, though, lots can be done
I need a job lined up by the time I graduate.
There is a lot of pressure to get a job before you graduate, especially when all your friends and peers are wrapped up in it too. However, 50% of students leave college without a job, and they aren’t all staying unemployed, so clearly you don’t need a job before you graduate. That said, there are several reasons why going through the job process while still in college is definitely recommended. You’ll have access to more resources (such as professors for references!) and it’s definitely a good idea to get your feet wet in the process while you’re still surrounded by people who can help.
I should only look at jobs based on my major or places I’ve interned.
The general view now is that your major matters less and less, and to an extent that’s pretty true (otherwise what would philosophy majors do with themselves?). You’d be surprised how many general skills you get from any major. Things you’ve picked up in one area can be put to equally good use in something completely new, and employers know this too. Which is good because otherwise I wouldn’t have the job I have now.
Deciding the rest of your life is way too much pressure!
Just like choosing a college is big, settling on a job can be an even harder decision. Fortunately, unlike college most jobs do not require you to commit for more than a year or two (if at all), so if you end up hating whatever it is you’re doing, it’s not the end of the world. People change jobs so often these days it’s probably a safe bet that whatever you start doing is not going to be what you end up doing anyway. So don’t stress too much, and don’t be afraid to try something out- at worst, you’ll learn a lot about yourself and what you want.
Hopefully these tips help shed some light on what the experience is really like, and how you can make your job search better. I tended to see the whole thing as a big project I had no desire to start, but over time came to realize that’s not at all how it is. Most importantly, it’s your future.
Andrew is a recent college graduate working on MyCareerRx (www.MyCareerRx.com), a site devoted to making the job hunting process easier for college students everywhere, from free career personality tests to resume and interview help.
Article Source: Finding a Job While Still in College: Advice on Career Searching