Many students journey off to college with the sincere intention of attaining an education that will earn them a high paying job in their major field with a top employer. One factor that many leading college career professionals unanimously agree upon, along with myself, is that career planning must meaningfully begin in the freshman college year and continue in each upcoming academic semester.  However, a majority of students put off essential career planning until their senior year, which may cause extra stress, especially with an intense class schedule focused on graduation.

As college students begin their fall semester classes, here are a few tips to consider in order to successfully connect academic classes with career interests:

Be engaged with diverse campus speakers – Colleges have many guest speakers from various professional fields that can enlighten students about different career options each semester.  These speakers provide a wealth of career information, possible internship opportunities, and the beginning contacts of a budding professional network.

Take a pro-active approach each semester to reflect on success and challenges – Each semester it is important for students to critically reflect on how their classes are correlating to a specific major and a possible career of interest.   This will also help students and their families avoid paying for unnecessary classes that do not correlate to their major or intended career.

Develop and update a professional résumé each semester – This activity will not only help students keep track of academic achievements and key projects in a scheduled manner, but also create a good habit of constantly updating résumé information, which will be required in their professional life.  A college senior trying to reflect back over 4 years of classes, activities, and academic successes will likely forget important achievements.  Also, students that have an updated résumé will be able to apply timely and confidently for internships.

Semesters pass quickly and college years can fly by. Without proper career planning, the upcoming graduate will be left unprepared. Underemployment is impacting many graduates transitioning to the professional workforce, even those that attained the highest grades and honors.  With the rising cost of a college education, it is imperative to have a career launch plan to safeguard the investment of time and money.  Campus to Career Crossroads partners as independent college to career expert dedicated to your success and goals.  Call today for a free consultation.