Originally published in the Wabash College Bachelor, September 2024
So, you’ve made it to college. You and everyone else in your freshman tutorial. In a few short years, you’ll be going head to head with college students near and far as you enter a competitive job market. You may hope you are prepared for interviews. You may hope you did all the right things. You may hope you get that internship, job, or grad school acceptance.
Hope is not a strategy and strategy starts now.
You have choices to make every day in college and it may be the first time you’re making those choices all by yourself. Sure, you’ve got an advisor that is telling you what the requirements are to graduate in 4 years. Maybe, they are helping you lay out the order in which you take those classes or complete those projects. Maybe you are even required to do an internship.
This is the bare minimum.
The bare minimum in college is like showing up to a potluck with a bag of store-bought chips: technically edible, socially acceptable, but ultimately unfulfilling. It’s the academic equivalent of a participation trophy – you were there, but did you really experience the game?
Crafting a college strategy to stand out in the competitive workforce involves more than just fulfilling academic requirements. It demands a proactive approach that extends beyond the classroom, encompassing a blend of academic excellence, experiential learning, and personal development. No one is going to do this for you and waiting until junior year is not going to get you ahead of the guy sitting next to you in that freshman tutorial.
So what are you going to do?
Academic Excellence: Maintaining a strong GPA is fundamental. It’s equally important to dive into your chosen field deeper than the minimum requirements. Go beyond your assignments and lectures. Engage in supplementary materials. Read books. Listen to visiting speakers. Seek out opportunities to apply the theoretical knowledge you are gaining in class. Obtain complementary designations or certificates. These are activities you may need to do without pay or grades or any accolades. Developing a growth mindset now will help you prepare for the real world and solidify lifelong learning habits that will enhance and accelerate your career.
Skills Development: In addition to the technical skills you are acquiring, focus on developing the transferable skills that are sought after in every role and in every industry: critical thinking, problem solving, communication, collaboration, and adaptability. Participate in extracurricular activities, clubs, or organizations where you can hone these skills.
Experiential Learning: Whether an internship is required for your major or not, do one. Actually, do two. Why?
(1) If you wait until the summer before your senior year to do an internship and it turns out you can’t stand (for example) the insurance industry, you’re on a short timeline to experiment in different industries or in different roles. Start early. Start looking for that first professional internship during the fall of your sophomore year. Actively seek opportunities that align with your career aspirations and enable you to apply your knowledge in a practical setting.
(2) If more experience gets you more and better paying opportunities, why not differentiate yourself from your peers?
Now for the tough love. If a paid internship isn’t available to you, do an unpaid internship. I know that’s not a popular opinion. Get over it. If your options are an unpaid internship or none, choose the unpaid internship and work a second job for money. It’s not fun. It’s not easy. Guess what? Life isn’t always fun or easy.
Internship experiences provide insights in industry practices and work cultures. They will help you develop practical skills, build a professional network, and show that you can translate what you are learning into real work. Most importantly, they will unveil to you what you really like or don’t like, what kind of industries or roles are out there (that you may never have otherwise known about), and will help guide the next steps in your academic journey. You might even find joy in or passion for something you never knew about.
Personal Branding: Networking starts now. Attend career fairs, industry roundtables, coffee connections, and workshops that connect you to potential employers. These are not just for juniors and seniors. Your first few years are an opportunity you will never have again. This is your opportunity to ask absolutely any question, practice and mess up while having potential employers be extremely forgiving. Additionally, an employer that sees you interested in their organization year over year is going to remember you. I can tell you hands down – employers remember those who are impressive as much as those who show up consistently and ask thoughtful questions.
This is also the best time to start working on your online presence on LinkedIn, craft a compelling resume you can continually update, and practice those interview skills.
TOP TIP: Now is the time to sanitize your social media. You know that photo from last week’s fraternity party. The one on your public instagram? Your future employers are checking. They don’t care if “everyone is doing it.” If I have two candidates that I’m thinking of hiring and one has some questionable content on social media, I’m hiring the other one. It really doesn’t matter if you think that is “judgemental”. You are being judged when you are interviewing. You are being judged not only for your skills, but how you might represent an organization. Can I trust you as a representative of my brand?
By implementing these strategies, you can position yourself as a highly competitive candidate in the workforce, equipped with the knowledge, skills, and experiences necessary to thrive in your chosen career path.
So what’s your strategy? It starts now.