People are more important than you think!

As college grads enter the workforce, they quickly learn it’s good to know people to find out about opportunities.  More importantly, you need to know how to effectively communicate, problem solve and work with people.  A skill that isn’t often taught in a text book is professionalism of the office and how to deal with difficult people.

Business Courses - Not ONLY for Business Students

As a college advisor, I feel each student should be required to complete a business communications course, even if they aren’t a business major.  This course teaches skills that can be applied to different industries and positions. The course goes over appropriate communication and also career preparation, which can be utilized in your job search.  No matter the type of position you are in, you will need to deal with people.  Maybe you are going to school for engineering, pre-med, business or education.  In all of these majors, you will need to learn how to work in a team, they can help you or they could hurt you, but you will need to know how to effectively work aside them and resolve issues that arise in order to be successful.

Can you write? Lack of basic skills can hinder you!

Do you want to make yourself successful?  Learn and market your soft skills!  Don’t forget about the basic communication skill.  No matter how great your GPA is, you still need to know how to write and present professionally.

Read this article to prepare for your job search and find out what you may be lacking!http://business.time.com/2013/11/10/the-real-reason-new-college-grads-cant-get-hired/

Goal Setting & Rewards - Helps in College Success

How do you feel after setting achieving a task or accomplishing a list of items? Great? No matter how small or large the task is, it always feels rewarding to accomplish something!

 

This is why it's important to set goals for yourself in college...
When starting college, it often seems that it's a long road to earn your bachelor degree. Believe it or not, it will fly by fast. Sometimes it's hard to see the light at the end of the tunnel but by staying focused and setting small goals, it  will help you reach that end result! After each semester, you should be proud of yourself.  You have finished a portion of your degree and you are one step closer to the finish line!  You should reward yourself because you have completed and knocked off a few courses which is allowing you to reach that end goal - your degree!


Another Lap Down
Have you ever ran a mile on a track? You have to lap around the track four times to run the full mile. Each time you you run around a lap once, you become more motivated because you know one is down and you are closer to the finish line. This is the same thing and feeling when looking at the four years in college to receive your degree! Each semester and each year you're a little closer to the completion and you can mark off segments to the finish line!


Time for You!
We know that each semester can take a toll on you. There is so much going on between exams, projects, reading and weekly assignments but it is important to make sure you are not overwhelmed and overloaded. It's important to take time for yourself! Set aside time for you to mentally drain and relax. Remember...if you don't take for yourself and you try to overwork yourself, sometimes you will not retain the information or get ahead. It's important to keep your health and sanity on track.

Read this article on how to avoid the downturn during the semester. Stay upbeat and remember this importance of time management, rewards, staying health and not beating yourself up over school. It all works out and comes to an end.
http://www.collegefashion.net/college-life/5-tips-to-beat-the-mid-semester-blues-stay-motivated/

Time Management - An Important Skill for Success

An important skill to develop in college that you will continue to use throughout life personally and professionally is time management skills. Students learn how to use time management early in their college career. This is very important to be successful. In life there is always times you need to juggle multiple things and you need to manage time to accomplish all tasks and meet your goals.

Some helpful tips to assist in managing time:

Make a list- When you have a lot on your plate to accomplish, make a list. You will be happy when you can Ross things off as you complete them.

Set mini goals - it's important to reward yourself and know you accomplished things. Think of it as a track and after one lap you have achieved a goal. This will help you make progress towards the final task or goal.

Don't procrastinate - Stay organized and plan ahead. The worst thing you can do is not plan ahead and wait to the last minute. This is when hyoid will start to fall behind.

Learn how to multitask - Often times you have many things to do but you only focus on one. It's important to try and accomplish multiple thigs at once. Don't spend all your energy in one spot or on one task. Work and make progress on multiple items at once, spreading the time out on each item.

It's ok to say no - Sometimes you just can't do everything! There will be times you have to say no. No doesn't mean forever, it may mean you can do it at a later date. Don't overwhelm yourself by taking on to much. It's ok to be selfish and thnk about yourself at times.

Learn about more ways to manage your time well
http://collegelife.about.com/od/academiclife/a/timemanagement.htm

It’s not JUST a Community College. It’s a place to learn & grow!

I speak to many students as they are looking for colleges and determining where they should start after high school.  I often here that “I’m going to just start at Community College”, said with a negative or unenthusiastic tone. There is always a stigma said with a community college, as it’s only 2^nd best or not as good of an education.

It’s the Smart Way!
Starting at a community college is the smart way to begin college, especially for students who haven’t yet decided on a major.  It’s a way to learn about different areas, take a variety of classes and pick a major if undecided.  A HUGE benefit is the cost.  Attending a community college allows students to receive a quality education at a lower cost.  It’s a win-win for the student.  Many college students fall into debt within their first year of attending college.  By attending a community college students can save about $15,000 in their first couple years of college.  Typically a community college semester (four courses) costs the same amount as one course at a four year college or university. 

Learning Environment with Quality Instruction – Not from another student

Students are able to learn in a smaller setting of up to 30 students per class at a community college versus a large lecture hall of 150 plus students at a four year college/university.  Also, another benefit is the students are taught by the actual instructor.  At a larger school, you may have a faculty member overseeing the course but they have a teaching assistant (TA) who is the one to facilitate lectures, who is actually a student. As a previous community college student I was able to connect with my instructors, ask them about professions and networks and build a relationship.  Once I moved on to a larger university, that wasn’t feasible due to the size and commitments faculty had.

The REAL DEAL.

Community college students learn through the process of education the easier way.  If they struggle or don’t succeed at first, they aren’t wasting thousands of dollars and they aren’t affecting their overall GPA for their bachelors degree, since the credit will only transfer.  The support is endless at a community college from academic groups, tutoring, and success seminars.  Often many students at the community college are multitaskers.  They are in school, working and involved in student life and/or clubs.  This is a skill community college students develop early in college, which they carry through the years into the workplace.  When they begin at their transfer college and in their career, they have already learned how to multitask, balance life and school and don’t have to go through a transition stage from a “traditional” college student to working in the real world.

 

High school students that are looking at colleges and deciding where a good fit for them would be, they may want to consider starting at a community college. 

 

Learn more about the community college experience at this local community college: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6XvkDxQsSo4

How important are internships??

Start Early! Know the reality.

Having worked in a Career Services office a few years ago, time and time again I would see students who would come in AFTER graduation looking for a job to start their career. Unfortunately, this was way too late to start the process. Students had thought that once they graduate, their degree is all they needed. This was the wrong idea. Students had thought they would come out of college, with no work experience and expect to make $50,000+. That would be great if our economy was booming and students could make that, but the reality is not that way. It was sad to see how disappointed they were when finding out they would be starting at the bottom of the totem pole, making $30,000 if they were lucky.

Have you had exposure?
Work experience, internships, volunteering or any exposure in the field is so important. Having knowledge and experience in the field you are looking to go into sets you able the rest. I always encourage students to look at internships as soon as they start their major. An internship could last two months up to two years. Paid or unpaid, the experience is the large payoff for the future! Often times if you work out, they may even keep you on board until you graduate and will offer you a fulltime position after graduation.
 

 

You need more than a degree!
The sooner you start looking, the earlier you will be able to move up. Salary and promotions are based on knowledge and experience. If you started to gain experience when starting college, that will set the bar high for you and welcome more opportunities in the future.

Some great companies who offer internships are Amazon, Deloitte, Ernest & Young, PricewaterhouseCoopers, Nordstrom, Microsoft, Google, etc.

View this article for The 20 Best Internships In America: http://www.businessinsider.com/the-best-internships-in-america-2013-6#20-ubs-financial-services-1

Should I become involved in student clubs??

Becoming involved in student clubs is a great way to meet people, discover what you are interested in and can lead to success. .. You might think that you are already very busy and you may not be able to dedicate additional time to a club. Just because you join a club doesn’t mean you have become the President. The great thing with joining a club is you will begin to learn how to juggle your time.

I don't have any more time - I'm already too busy!
When I was in college, I found that the busier I was the better I did. Maybe it was because when I was in a time crunch I knew I had to meet my deadlines and didn’t have time to waste. This is a great way to learn time management skills. When you graduate from college, you will quickly learn this lesson if you didn’t in college. You will move into the real world, working full time and having to maintain your personal life as well. Time management is important personally and professionally. When you are involved in student clubs, you are able to meet many people. Some of those peers may have the same interests or major as you. You might even come across someone who has been in your shoes and could be a mentor from you. Learning from others is a great tool you should take advantage of in college. Friends, classmates and teachers can all provide insight to you. Don’t be shy, start talking and meeting people!

Start Early - Find Resume Builders
Lastly, involvement in student clubs is a great way for you to start building your resume. Many college students are focused on school and don’t have the time to work in a part-time job or internship. It’s important while you are in college to start preparing your resume for opportunities when you graduate. Involvement in clubs or volunteering is a great to place on your resume.  This shows leadership and initiative. In an interview, you can talk about your experiences and exposure you had while involved in clubs.

Albert Nolan, Professional Writer discusses the opportunities students have when joining clubs: http://www.ehow.com/facts_5656487_reasons-students-should-join-club.html

Networking: Building Relationships and Opportunities

What is networking? Basically, it’s relationship building. It’s never too early to start networking, meeting people and build a large network. People often say it’s who you know! That is correct in many cases, especially in looking for job opportunities. The job search can be discouraging, redundant and very time consuming. This is when you need to reach out to your “network”. Many people receive jobs by referrals.

Everyone loves referrals
As a hiring manager, you are more likely to hire a person that you receive a referral for or knowing someone who can attest to their work ethic. This is when a large network is important. Reaching out and letting people know you’re in search of a job can lead to opportunities. A person in your network may know of another person who might be looking for someone that you fit the skill set for. This is why it’s important to be involved and build relationships with people.

It helps who you know!
Through networking and building relationships I was able to secure my last job. Someone I worked with had referred me to a position, in which she knew the hiring manager. Through the referral, I was able to land an interview and was presented with a job offer. Without the referral I may not have been able to have been brought in for an interview or could my application and resume could have been looked over.

How to get involved and network?
 I suggest in joining student clubs, organizations aligned with your career goals and attend events that attract people in the industry you are looking to enter.

Learn more on how networking can help you grow your career!
http://careerplanning.about.com/od/networking/a/networking.htm