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How can I get connected with people and resources that will ultimately benefit me in the future, especially with applying and landing jobs and internships?
Question Writing Tips, Job and interview tips, College tips, Financial tips, Essay writing tips, Getting on the right track tips, Study tips, Classes tips
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5 answers
Miha B
Academic and Career Counselor | Human Resources Specialist | Internal Auditor
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Miha’s Answer
Hi Kate,
1. Networking for Jobs & Internships:
Leverage LinkedIn: Create a professional LinkedIn profile, and connect with alumni, professors, industry professionals, and other students. Follow companies you’re interested in and engage with their content to get noticed.
Attend Career Fairs & Networking Events: These are great opportunities to meet recruiters, learn about job openings, and get advice on applying for jobs and internships.
Join Student Organizations/Clubs: Many college clubs have connections with local businesses and provide great networking opportunities.
Use Your College’s Career Center: They can help with resume building, interview preparation, and connections to alumni networks that might have job openings.
2. Job and Interview Tips:
Tailor Your Resume & Cover Letter: Customize these documents for each position to showcase your relevant experience and skills.
Practice Interviewing: Conduct mock interviews with a mentor or at your career center to build confidence and sharpen your responses to common interview questions.
Research Companies: Before interviews, research the company thoroughly to understand their mission, values, and the role you're applying for. It shows initiative and interest.
3. College Tips:
Stay Organized: Use a planner or digital tools to manage assignments, exams, and internship applications.
Balance Your Schedule: Don’t overburden yourself with too many commitments. Ensure you have time for both academics and extracurricular activities.
Build Relationships with Professors: Professors can be valuable mentors and might provide job leads or strong references for internships and jobs.
4. Financial Tips:
Budgeting: Track your spending and try to stick to a budget. This will help you understand how to manage money now and in the future.
Scholarships & Grants: Look for scholarships, grants, and fellowships to help ease your financial burden.
Student Loans: If you have loans, be proactive in understanding your repayment options, including any available student loan forgiveness programs.
5. Essay Writing Tips:
Start Early: Give yourself plenty of time to research and draft. Rushed essays often don’t reflect your best work.
Be Clear & Concise: Focus on your main points and make sure each paragraph supports your thesis.
Proofread & Edit: Always check for grammar, spelling, and clarity. Ask someone else to read your essay for feedback before submitting it.
6. Getting on the Right Track:
Set Clear Goals: Identify what you want to achieve in both the short and long term, then break those down into actionable steps.
Seek Mentorship: Having someone experienced to guide you can help you navigate your career and academic journey more effectively.
7. Study Tips:
Active Learning: Instead of just reading, engage with the material by summarizing it, teaching it to someone else, or testing yourself.
Create a Study Schedule: Dedicate specific times to study, and don’t wait until the last minute to prepare for exams.
Use Study Groups: Collaborating with classmates can provide different perspectives and help you understand difficult concepts better.
8. Class Tips:
Attend Classes Regularly: Being present can improve your understanding and give you opportunities to engage with the material.
Stay Engaged: Participate in class discussions and ask questions to deepen your understanding of the subject.
By focusing on these strategies, you'll be setting yourself up for a successful academic career and professional future!
1. Networking for Jobs & Internships:
Leverage LinkedIn: Create a professional LinkedIn profile, and connect with alumni, professors, industry professionals, and other students. Follow companies you’re interested in and engage with their content to get noticed.
Attend Career Fairs & Networking Events: These are great opportunities to meet recruiters, learn about job openings, and get advice on applying for jobs and internships.
Join Student Organizations/Clubs: Many college clubs have connections with local businesses and provide great networking opportunities.
Use Your College’s Career Center: They can help with resume building, interview preparation, and connections to alumni networks that might have job openings.
2. Job and Interview Tips:
Tailor Your Resume & Cover Letter: Customize these documents for each position to showcase your relevant experience and skills.
Practice Interviewing: Conduct mock interviews with a mentor or at your career center to build confidence and sharpen your responses to common interview questions.
Research Companies: Before interviews, research the company thoroughly to understand their mission, values, and the role you're applying for. It shows initiative and interest.
3. College Tips:
Stay Organized: Use a planner or digital tools to manage assignments, exams, and internship applications.
Balance Your Schedule: Don’t overburden yourself with too many commitments. Ensure you have time for both academics and extracurricular activities.
Build Relationships with Professors: Professors can be valuable mentors and might provide job leads or strong references for internships and jobs.
4. Financial Tips:
Budgeting: Track your spending and try to stick to a budget. This will help you understand how to manage money now and in the future.
Scholarships & Grants: Look for scholarships, grants, and fellowships to help ease your financial burden.
Student Loans: If you have loans, be proactive in understanding your repayment options, including any available student loan forgiveness programs.
5. Essay Writing Tips:
Start Early: Give yourself plenty of time to research and draft. Rushed essays often don’t reflect your best work.
Be Clear & Concise: Focus on your main points and make sure each paragraph supports your thesis.
Proofread & Edit: Always check for grammar, spelling, and clarity. Ask someone else to read your essay for feedback before submitting it.
6. Getting on the Right Track:
Set Clear Goals: Identify what you want to achieve in both the short and long term, then break those down into actionable steps.
Seek Mentorship: Having someone experienced to guide you can help you navigate your career and academic journey more effectively.
7. Study Tips:
Active Learning: Instead of just reading, engage with the material by summarizing it, teaching it to someone else, or testing yourself.
Create a Study Schedule: Dedicate specific times to study, and don’t wait until the last minute to prepare for exams.
Use Study Groups: Collaborating with classmates can provide different perspectives and help you understand difficult concepts better.
8. Class Tips:
Attend Classes Regularly: Being present can improve your understanding and give you opportunities to engage with the material.
Stay Engaged: Participate in class discussions and ask questions to deepen your understanding of the subject.
By focusing on these strategies, you'll be setting yourself up for a successful academic career and professional future!
Updated
Hannah’s Answer
Hi Kate!
There are a lot of ways that you can get connected with different people and resources to help you with connections. The most relevant is going to be school, especially teachers and professors who are in your desired field of study. Maintaining a good and respectful relationship with these people will help you build connections and also with professional references, if need be.
Another thing is clubs. If there is a club you are interested in and is related to your field of study, join it! You'll meet lots of great people who could provide you tons of resources.
If you know anybody who has family or friends in the industry, ask to connect with them. Maybe even just simply talking to them about what they have done to get where they are. Oftentimes, people are very happy to help and talk to you about these things.
If you have Linkedin, you can reach out to people who work at the companies that you are interested in. Ask them if they have time to answer a few questions, or if they have any advice for you. Interviewing them may not necessarily give you a professional reference, but they may be able to provide you with some resources!
Good luck! I hope this is helpful for you :)
There are a lot of ways that you can get connected with different people and resources to help you with connections. The most relevant is going to be school, especially teachers and professors who are in your desired field of study. Maintaining a good and respectful relationship with these people will help you build connections and also with professional references, if need be.
Another thing is clubs. If there is a club you are interested in and is related to your field of study, join it! You'll meet lots of great people who could provide you tons of resources.
If you know anybody who has family or friends in the industry, ask to connect with them. Maybe even just simply talking to them about what they have done to get where they are. Oftentimes, people are very happy to help and talk to you about these things.
If you have Linkedin, you can reach out to people who work at the companies that you are interested in. Ask them if they have time to answer a few questions, or if they have any advice for you. Interviewing them may not necessarily give you a professional reference, but they may be able to provide you with some resources!
Good luck! I hope this is helpful for you :)
Updated
Sierra’s Answer
Kate, I have always been told and found that who you know is often one of the most important things. I see that in your question you are asking for guidance on how to meet those influential people. Understanding and leveraging degrees of separation and then building your network is step one.
For me, the two most valuable resources in my network have been my school 's faculty and alumni association and people I connect with at professional conferences. These connections have destinct advantages. They share my interests and they usually have other connections which I can leverage.
Best of luck to you.
Sierra
For me, the two most valuable resources in my network have been my school 's faculty and alumni association and people I connect with at professional conferences. These connections have destinct advantages. They share my interests and they usually have other connections which I can leverage.
Best of luck to you.
Sierra
Updated
Lindsey’s Answer
If you are in college, you should start there. There is likely a career center on campus that can help you prepare for the future. There might even be classes on career exploration or interviewing that you can take to better your chances of choosing the right career for you and succeeding in the job search process.
Your college may also have a job portal where you can apply to on- and off-campus jobs and internships for students. Some even have options for alumni, so keep that in mind once you graduate. Your school network of classmates, friends, and professors may also be able to help if you let them know you need advice.
If you aren't in college or haven't started yet—or just want outside opinions on how to pursue career and life planning—I would recommend looking for free resources or classes online to help you learn how to apply for jobs and prepare for certain careers. Indeed has great resources like this, as does GCFGlobal(which also offers other real-world courses on topics like Microsoft Office and Math).
No matter what your student or job history status is, LinkedIn can also help you connect with others in your chosen field as well as friends or classmates in your chosen field. You might even want to write a couple of articles (even if writing isn't your #1 skill) to build authority in your chosen field and provide value to your online network.
If you need help affording college or other education programs, check out online scholarship databases such as Fastweb and ScholarshipOwl. A Google search can help you get started there. You might also want to start with a free certificate program online from somewhere like Management & Strategy Institute or Alison, depending on your goals.
You could also use AI tools like ChatGPT to help you make a career and/or education plan. Learning about AI is also a good choice in itself, as I think most career paths are going to include some AI usage in the near future if they don't already. AI can even help you proofread essays or practice mock interview questions.
Good luck to you!
Consider hiring help such as a tutor for essays or a career coach if those options are practical for you.
Hire a resume writer or review service like Indeed offers if you want to be sure your materials will work for you.
Consider volunteering in a career path you are interested or something related to gain experience.
Consider volunteering OUTSIDE your chosen career path to expand your horizons and your network.
Your college may also have a job portal where you can apply to on- and off-campus jobs and internships for students. Some even have options for alumni, so keep that in mind once you graduate. Your school network of classmates, friends, and professors may also be able to help if you let them know you need advice.
If you aren't in college or haven't started yet—or just want outside opinions on how to pursue career and life planning—I would recommend looking for free resources or classes online to help you learn how to apply for jobs and prepare for certain careers. Indeed has great resources like this, as does GCFGlobal(which also offers other real-world courses on topics like Microsoft Office and Math).
No matter what your student or job history status is, LinkedIn can also help you connect with others in your chosen field as well as friends or classmates in your chosen field. You might even want to write a couple of articles (even if writing isn't your #1 skill) to build authority in your chosen field and provide value to your online network.
If you need help affording college or other education programs, check out online scholarship databases such as Fastweb and ScholarshipOwl. A Google search can help you get started there. You might also want to start with a free certificate program online from somewhere like Management & Strategy Institute or Alison, depending on your goals.
You could also use AI tools like ChatGPT to help you make a career and/or education plan. Learning about AI is also a good choice in itself, as I think most career paths are going to include some AI usage in the near future if they don't already. AI can even help you proofread essays or practice mock interview questions.
Good luck to you!
Lindsey recommends the following next steps:
Updated
Rithika’s Answer
Hi Kate!
LinkedIn is an amazing resource for networking ! It can help you learn so much about the career path you have chosen and also peoples individual journeys. It also puts you on the map for companies that may be hiring. I think a good plan of action would be to go on LinkedIn and type in the school you went to and find the alumni. There will then be an option for you to search within the alumni a specific company or job. Once you find people who went to your school and work the job you would like, sending them a message introducing yourself and asking questions you may have! Mentioning that you guys went to the same school gives you a connection point and can make the conversation flow easily. If needed, you can also request a zoom call with them to chat further!
I wish you the best of luck!
LinkedIn is an amazing resource for networking ! It can help you learn so much about the career path you have chosen and also peoples individual journeys. It also puts you on the map for companies that may be hiring. I think a good plan of action would be to go on LinkedIn and type in the school you went to and find the alumni. There will then be an option for you to search within the alumni a specific company or job. Once you find people who went to your school and work the job you would like, sending them a message introducing yourself and asking questions you may have! Mentioning that you guys went to the same school gives you a connection point and can make the conversation flow easily. If needed, you can also request a zoom call with them to chat further!
I wish you the best of luck!