Although the college experience is mostly about academics, those formative years of higher education are also a prime time to jump-start your professional development. If you make smart moves while you’re still an undergraduate, you’ll have an easier experience finding a job after graduation and making a career . Up your skills during college with these strategies.
2022 has ended and we are at the entrance of the new year 2023 .The end of the year is always a good time to reflect on your career progress, take note of your accomplishments and shortcomings, and figure out the way forward
Curate your social media channels.
A CareerBuilder survey revealed that 70% of employers research job candidates on social media, so make sure you are comfortable with your potential future boss seeing all your recent tweets and Instagram posts. Interestingly, 57% of employers reported seeing content that caused them not to hire candidates; be sure to remove any controversial posts and curate your presence. All status updates, posts and tweets should reflect a professional image consistent with the company values.
Once you perfect your online image, work on updating your resume and make it a stellar piece of your professional story. This is the first impression that hiring managers will have of you, so not only is formatting important, but since resumes are meant to be concise, every word matters and space is valuable.
Here’s what to review as you take another look at your Career Development this year:
Make your list of skills as comprehensive as possible.
What many job seekers don’t realize is that some skills can be transferred from one role to another–even if the day-to-day work doesn’t match previous job tasks. Your list of skills is the first place most employers will look. When you’re listing your skills, don’t only think about your hard or technical skills, but make sure you include your soft skills. A CareerBuilder study showed that last year, 80% of employers gave soft skills equal or more weight than hard skills, as soft skills like critical thinking, the ability to be team-oriented Ninety-two percent of employers say soft skills, including interpersonal skills, communication abilities, and critical thinking, will be important in determining whether they will hire candidates. Eighty percent also said that soft skills would be equally or more important than hard skills when hiring candidates, since specific technical skills are necessary for some jobs. The top skills that employers will be hiring for in 2019 are the ability to be team-oriented (51 percent), attention to detail (49 percent), and customer service (46 percent).
Design To Create an Inclusive and Equitable Talent Marketplace
As you look ahead and plan your Career, take a holistic approach and think about where your next role will take you. With every professional step you take, you want to be sure you’re continuing to learn and grow. If you’re not sure about what a potential next step could be, educate yourself on different industries and seek out mentors with experience. Your career is what you make of it, so work on maintaining a proactive and thoughtful attitude through all your career moves.
What I have generally come across is that There are different types of college students: the ones who spend their years locked away in the library, the ones who leave everything to the last minute, the ones who spend more time socializing than studying, the ones who split their time between work and the classroom, the ones who do either one of the above things and the ones who try to do them all.
If possible, every college student should start planning for the future early. This means being involved on campus and staying in the know of what’s happening, networking with professors and going after professional experiences — this is all in addition to studying and acing your classes of course. Doing this can make a lot of difference between many job opportunities by the time it’s graduation season .As a college student, you need to stay on top of what needs to be done to create a positive outcome and for this you need to be alert.
Take advantage of your campus career resources
At Dezyne École students take advantage the career building sessions through the many different workshops it offers (resume building, cover letter writing, interviewing, networking, etc.) .Through this the Students gain the skills to land in more than four internships — all before their senior years. This helps students feel so much more prepared for the real world after graduation.
Actively look for professional opportunities
Whether it be a season job, internship or volunteer gig, take every opportunity you come across to develop the skill set you’ll need in the future. Finding these jobs will often require a proactive approach combined with patience, so carve out some time to do the work. Connect with other students to form a supportive network where you’ll encourage each other.In this highly competitive landscape, come up with creative ways to stand out in the job search. Maybe you’ll develop an app to apply for a technical internship in the fields of IT or Design.
Create your own opportunities
Don’t limit yourself only to internships or traditional jobs to acquire the experience you’ll need when you join the workforce. Especially if these opportunities aren’t coming your way. In this digital age, anyone can start a successful venture with a few clicks and a good Wi-Fi connection. Whether you start writing a blog, launch a photography business or take an online coding/marketing course, use part of your free time to give yourself opportunities with the same gains (more experience). This is key to not only practicing leadership, managing your time, connecting with new people, but also (and most importantly) honing a set of skills.
Reality of College Students :
-College graduates don’t feel well-equipped to face the real world
Today In:
· Only 2 out of 10 Indian college students feel very or extremely prepared for their future careers. Women were less confident in their career readiness.
-There’s a gap between student and employer perceptions
-More experience helps with confidence and career readiness
You may find these findings scary or motivating (I hope it’s the latter). While for the most part, they point to a grim post-college reality, there is something you can do for a better outcome. Yes, you can take control from this point forward and make the most out of your college experience — for better job prospects and career opportunities after graduation in the chosen fields.
With all these Experiences College comes with, preparing for the future from the first day may not be a priority for many students.
Being an educator and mentor I know about maximum students take college education as a fun and an enjoyable experience. In retrospect, college education should be a seat of knowledge and train the young students about career planning sooner because of the omnipresent competition in every field of the present day.
I have come across many colleges today where the thrust is more on the students for enjoyment and fun. Instead of making them alert, towards their future happens to be missing. It is really pathetic to train the young minds of college in such a frame where the industries while hiring graduates are falling short of skills and knowledge as required by them. Seeing the current scenario of college education the education part is missing and everything else what is not needed is present .I am saying this because I have come across few big names of colleges of India who have the similar type of student development and having well educated list of mentors with degrees and research degrees, but falling short in training the young minds with the necessary knowledge required by the industry of that particular stream of study. Colleges today need to provide an educational environment for student’s development .And student should also be aware about themselves while choosing a college for higher education.
Cell Phone Is Sabotaging Students Career
When you have an addictive nature of checking a cell phone as a student, you run the risk of losing your professionalism. What’s at stake? Mainly your career. Your cellphone is negatively impacting your career.
Have you ever had an email, text or social media notification pop up on your screen and found yourself grabbing your phone right away. I have and that’s why I stopped notifications from appearing on my phone. It’s nearly impossible to resist checking your phone when an incoming message shows up, which typically has a negative effect on your productivity. I have noticed that “We’ve been trained, like Pavlov’s dog, to respond to every single alert, even when the news we’re retrieving isn’t time-sensitive or even relevant.” In addition to taking your attention away from important tasks, checking your notifications also signals to everyone around you that you can easily be distracted. It may also imply that whatever is on your phone is more important than the surrounding conversation. It’s best to avoid being in those situations as that can negatively influence your colleagues’ perception and your work relationships.
Instead, I would recommend, turn those notifications off at work and study and leave only one special “ring” available for family emergencies. This will allow you to stay focused on the task at hand and get it done more efficiently and effectively. Start making a conscious effort to use your people skills more and your smartphone less. The college is the perfect environment to separate yourself from your phone and connect with friends, so take advantage of it.
I wish all students a successful planning of career ahead and Happy new Year 2023.
The author of this article is Dr. Vinita Mathur (vinita @dezyneecole.com),she is an esteemed educationist, and the visionary owner of a prestigious college ,Dezyne École College . Her intellectual prowess, dedication to education, and innovative leadership have made her a prominent figure in academia and a source of inspiration for countless students and educators alike.
