A Challenge To Students

What are your career plans? The normal answer from college students is to graduate and find a career-related job. To accomplish your plans, you must prepare yourself academically as well as professionally and acquire the communication, computer, interpersonal, and teamwork skills desired by employers for successful entry into the world of work.

My challenge to you is to begin your job search early and to gain hands-on experience in your field of study at your college through participation in cooperative education and internship programs. You can also gain relevant experience through part-time or volunteer work connected to your career interest. The cooperative education internship program allows students to alternate school and work terms in order to apply their academic training and prepare for life beyond graduation. The program adds credibility to one’s ability to interact in an actual work environment, plus it helps pay the bills. Perhaps one of the greatest long-term benefits of the co-op experience is that it often opens the door to future employment opportunities. Over ninety percent of the co-op students at Morris College were converted to fulltime employees with their co-op employers upon completion of requirements for graduation.

In conclusion, students should do the following things to ready themselves for the world of work.

• Get some hands-on experience in your field of study.
• Become actively involved in campus organizations and extracurricular activities to build your teamwork skills.
• Join a professional organization in your major.
• Participate in service learning.
• Maintain a good grade point average.
• Develop strong communication skills.
• Acquire and develop computer skills.
• Keep track of the job market in your field.
• Finally, visit the Career Services Center at your school and enlist the assistance of the competent and experience staff and use the resources available to you for successful career planning.