What can you do to plan and move along your career before you finish college or university? The answer is plenty. Basically it boils down to job experience and references as well as the networking and chosen industry and workforce contacts that you can make and proliferate.

Your career job preparation can begin as far back as high school. It’s best to have a part time job. Even babysitting, delivering newspapers and mowing neighbor’s lawns count as part time jobs. Better yet is work at well known organizations – both for profit such as big box stores, fast food chains and convenience stores. You might want to pick well known non profit organizations such as your local Y.M.C.A. Remember in a career job interview down the line it may all come down to quick name recognition of your references and background.

Next get involved in extracurricular activities and clubs. You will acquire transferable skills like a strong work ethic – a positive attitude and the ability to work in a team environment.

Take the time to volunteer for school church or community organizations. Helping with a Sunday school or church may not seem like much effort. Such efforts can result in you obtaining recognizable planning and teaching skills and the ability to work with young children.

Along your travels in may be wise to consider participating in programs that expose you to different occupations. For example consider such activities as “job shadowing”, career fairs, work experience classes and junior achievement programs.

Travel is said to broaden the mind. Do not underestimate the value of travel as an educational tool. Travel can expose you to new ideas, old ideas in new forms as well as make you good job and career contacts whole helping you to acquire and hone any of a number of useful and even specialized skills – including languages.

While in university as a matter of general policy it is always best to get the best grades that you can possibly can. It never hurts as your grandfather could have well told you to be the best at what you do. If 3 people are applying for the same job, with the same qualifications, in this case a university or college degree, diploma or certificate.

All candidates are pretty close. Which one stands out and gets the job – the two with c averages and the qualifications or the job candidate with the “A: average? You be the judge.

It’s always best to be noticed at school as the student who goes the extra mile making sure that your questions are answered. Take the time to initiate contacts with your professors to ask for specific help to assignments and answers. Even offer at some point to be a teaching or marking assistant. You will be in a better position to ask for references and job career contacts. As well ask your professor or instructor to recommend related associations or networking groups for your related fields of interests and future career.

While you at your school of higher learning take the time to join campus club and campus volunteer organizations. In life much results from the contacts you have made along the way. Not only will you make contacts which can well result in a larger grapevine of information and job career contacts but any volunteer jobs and positions that you hold on campus will look good on your resume – both for name recognition as well as a demonstration of your current and recent commitments.

Lastly do not wait for the last semester of your final years at school to start looking for that job. You have worked hard and consistently to acquire a solid work and personal history in order to further your job or career goals. Take full advantage of your solid efforts and preparation. You have earned it. . No matter how busy you are with assignments, studying and exams keep your eye on the ball. Your targets or goals were to obtain that job or career. You have done your work at preparation. Remember the early bird gets the worms.




By: Shaun Z. Stevens