11 Third Year-EXPERIENCE
Your third year in college is all about EXPERIENCE!
Real-world experiences gained through internships, volunteering, class projects, clubs, and leadership positions within an student organization are some of the best ways to set yourself up for success after graduation.
In short, your third year is building upon your first and second years here at college. You started exploring, and as things have come into more clarity, you’ve tested these avenues and pathways by connecting with professionals to learn more about the world of work as well as through clubs and organizations on campus. You are now half-way through with college course work and graduation is right around the corner.
Do you want to know how to best set yourself up for success?
GET EXPERIENCE.
Employers are looking to hire students who have some type of experience(s) and transferrable skillsets that can be used in the world of work.
You probably already have more experience than you think. Experience doesn’t just mean having had a part-time job or other paid work. Experiences can also mean developing skillsets that employers are looking for-such as group work or projects you’ve worked on in class. The National Association of Colleges & Employers (NACE) asks companies what their top skillsets they look for in new hires and although the list changes slightly from year to year, here are the core career competencies employers want to see developed (in no particular order):
- Communication
- Equity & Inclusion
- Technology
- Professionalism
- Career & Self-Development
- Teamwork
- Leadership
- Critical Thinking
Consider your previous experience and involvement & connect it with the list above. What skills are well developed? Where do you have room to grow?
In this third year, it will be critical to continue to meet with your career coach to discuss the following topics so you are not only find additional opportunities to grow your experience, but also how to articulate the skillsets you are developing.
CHECKLIST | THIRD YEAR
