Do you ever sit and wonder, “What am I doing with my life?” With graduation fast approaching, thinking about the future can be overwhelming. I used to stare at my résumé wide-eyed, reading over my fast food work experience, wondering how I was ever going to get a job after I graduate. I’d have a degree, but is that even enough anymore? The reality is, a college education has become less of an enhancement to your resume and more of a requirement. While it used to land you the job, now it just gets your résumé added to a pile.
So where do you go from there? How do you make yourself stand apart from the competition? It’s all about experiential learning. With the help of UC’s Academic Internship Program (AIP), I feel confident that all the hard work I’ve put in during my college years will lead me to success. The program and instructors helped me improve my resume, assisted me in the internship search, and helped me learn from my on-the-job experience. AIP has provided me with the skills I need to succeed, both now and in the future. Gain confidence in your professionalism, and get out of the pile!
Achievements: I once went a week without buying Drunken Bento.
If you’re anything like me, you did absolutely nothing in high school (GO SLACKERS—but I’m actually mad at myself… *cries*). When I entered college last year, I was left with achievements that weren’t much better than my achievement above—and with even less of an idea of how to make them sound good. When you take Intro to Academic Internships (offered through AIP), they’ll teach you all about sprucing up your work experience and achievements through use of peer & instructor résumé workshops. Now, I’m proud of the information on my résumé. Regardless of whether you’re like me or someone whose achievements could consume pages, AIP will assist you in creating a knockout résumé that’s sure to catch any employer’s eye!
“So, tell me what you know about our company.”
This is one question an interviewer is guaranteed to ask at some point in time—and a question that could be detrimental to your success. You CANNOT go into an interview without knowing something about the company that is taking its time to interview you. If you can tell them about their company, it shows them you’re actually serious and interested in the opportunity, and that you took the time to do a little research. Didn’t know that? Register for Intro to Academic Internships—you’ll gain knowledge of what employers want to hear, what you should ask, and other little gems that you had zero idea you needed to know about!
It’s Time to Learn
It’s easy to go through the motions without reflecting on how an experience helped you. When you take Intro to Academic Internships and they assist you in finding a job position (out of hundreds of opportunities in their system), you will be required to participate in a three credit hour online reflection/assessment course during your time on the job. Breaking down all the daily tasks I had throughout my internships allowed me to learn from my experience and see myself growing as a professional from the outside.
Sometimes when the looming image of flipping burgers ‘til I’m 50 drifts into my thoughts, I remind myself that I have two internships through AIP under my belt—and more importantly, I have EXPERIENCE. Don’t let something so easily accessible be the reason you don’t get hired. Learn how to make your résumé a front runner, not just a contender; how to network, not just go to work; and how to grow into a professional individual rather than just coasting through college on a river of beer and stress-induced tears.
Want more info about AIP? Go to uc.edu/intern to learn more about this awesome opportunity!