After speaking recently with Andi Teggart and Kerry Brown about their final semesters in college it got me thinking about a few suggestions I have for second semester seniors. At this point, you probably still have one foot in the school mentality while the other is jumping into your next chapter, the “real world.”
My biggest piece of advice for this semester is to PLAN. Review deadlines for all internship applications and job interviews. Create a calendar to ensure you meet each one. I recommend working backwards from due dates and setting early deadlines for yourself. Planning ahead will help you if any school projects come up or keep you on track to enjoy that spontaneous best friend road trip. In addition to working for good final grades and a full-time position upon graduating, don’t forget the fun. Enjoy living within blocks of your closest friends. Explore the town surrounding your campus. Get the work done, but never let the work overtake you.
Next, don’t dwell on the bad news. There’s no point in sugarcoating this: there is a lot of competition out there. I applied for a number of internships and heard a lot of “no’s” before being offered a position. Rather than letting this get you down, take each experience and ask yourself, what can I learn from this? Can you prep better for the next interview? Improve your online brand? Research the company more? Just because your friends, in the industry or not, are finding full-time positions and internships doesn’t mean you need one immediately. If you cross that stage in May without knowing what’s next, look at the positive side. You have nothing but opportunity ahead of you. So, here’s your chance. Spend the summer working like crazy. What can you do to ensure your dream company will pick you? Having the time will allow you to perfect your craft.
Just a few suggestions to get you on your way. Any ideas you’d like to contribute?
Going with the Flo 