With the transition of the seasons finally becoming evident, the slew of students bundling up in coats and scarves, and the first round of exams finishing, the fall semester is off to an official start. It’s fairly easy to become lost in the excitement of the season, but with the loss of summer freedom comes some ever-important tasks: building up our resumes, getting that 4.0 and landing an AMAZING internship. We often forget that our time spent at Rutgers serves an ultimate purpose: prepping us for what the outside world is really about. Some students become complacent about their career goals, and are awoken during their senior years by the reality of adulthood. While it is easy to feel lost among the crowd of students suited up in business attire, there are many useful resources that Rutgers offers to help ease the transition from college to career.
1. Build up that GPAA pivotal step to take when trying to become a perfect job candidate is making sure that your GPA is as high as possible. This doesn’t mean that you need As in every single one of your classes (recruiters understand that school is challenging), but do as well as you can in school. Attend tutoring sessions, form study groups, and ATTEND CLASS! Do everything that you can to attain every point possible, as school is a priority. Some recruiters use a scanning process to eliminate candidates with GPAs that are below a certain number, so making sure you have a good GPA can increase your chances of getting your resume read.
2. Perfect your resumeHaving a clean, succinct and well-rounded resume is also a priority. Rutgers Career Services and the Office of Career Management constantly offer resume-reviewing sessions and provide excellent guidance to those who are seeking ways to improve their resumes. The trick to having a resume read by an employer is to adequately detail all of your experiences, and supplement facts with numbers and descriptions. Employers are interested to see how you impacted whatever job, club, or internship you had, and it is important to provide them with enough information to keep them enticed!
3. Prepare an elevator pitchElevator pitches are essentially brief introductions, designed to let an employer find out exactly who you are, and what you want to gain out of the position you are applying for. Rehearse your elevator pitch and make sure your tone and pace are correct, and remember to keep it brief. Effective pitches are succinct, packed with relevant details and tailored to appeal to the person you are speaking to. It’s handy to have a perfect pitch on hand as you never know when you’ll come in contact with an employer!
4. Attend a career fair (or two)A common misconception that many Rutgers students have is that career fairs only benefit upperclassmen. While some employers only do hire Juniors and Seniors, they are still thrilled to see enthusiastic underclassmen at career fairs. By getting experience interacting with employers in a professional setting, it makes it easier for you to perfect your elevator pitch, get your resume out there, and market yourself. Some employers may even remember your face from that very first career fair you attended, and if you apply for a job with their company later on, there is a good chance that they will remember you.
Talking about careers can be scary, as our post-college futures are looming. While college is about having fun and making memories, it is equally important to excel in school and have enriching experiences. If you make sure to take advantage of all the preparatory tools that Rutgers has to offer, the transition will surely be effortless!