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What other ways should I prepare to reach my career goals this summer?
I've already asked good questions, but what should be my other options for reaching towards my career goals this summer? #careers #career-advice
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4 answers
Updated
Betty’s Answer
Hi Chris,
It's good to hear that you're thinking about your career goals before you've graduated from school. There are many steps you can take towards your career path and the actions you take now can open up doors in the future. I've been working in the tech field for over 2 decades, and in my experience, putting together a plan really helps to solidify and provide clarity.
1. Networking is an important facet of professional life. The professional world can be very competitive and what really sets apart a so-so job candidate from an excellent candidate (all other things being equal like work experience, GPA, etc) is the ability to communicate and work well with others. I recommend taking some public speaking courses, debate or just presenting more in class.
2. Try to find a mentor or someone who works in the profession you're pursuing. This could be a contact through school or a family friend. Get more information on what the job involves on a day to day basis. Having passion for your work and feeling a sense of reward are very important ingredients to success and happiness.
3. Look into other certifications or additional training you could get online or via in person training and certifications. Work on projects that you can showcase to your prospective employer. Most job applicants are caught in a chicken or egg situation where they're not considered good candidates because they don't have experience. Try to get experience as soon as possible without jeopardizing your grades either through volunteering or internships.
The main point is to get out there and be proactive, ask questions and meet people. Your career journey is in your hands and it's up to you to take the first step. Hope this helps and good luck.
It's good to hear that you're thinking about your career goals before you've graduated from school. There are many steps you can take towards your career path and the actions you take now can open up doors in the future. I've been working in the tech field for over 2 decades, and in my experience, putting together a plan really helps to solidify and provide clarity.
1. Networking is an important facet of professional life. The professional world can be very competitive and what really sets apart a so-so job candidate from an excellent candidate (all other things being equal like work experience, GPA, etc) is the ability to communicate and work well with others. I recommend taking some public speaking courses, debate or just presenting more in class.
2. Try to find a mentor or someone who works in the profession you're pursuing. This could be a contact through school or a family friend. Get more information on what the job involves on a day to day basis. Having passion for your work and feeling a sense of reward are very important ingredients to success and happiness.
3. Look into other certifications or additional training you could get online or via in person training and certifications. Work on projects that you can showcase to your prospective employer. Most job applicants are caught in a chicken or egg situation where they're not considered good candidates because they don't have experience. Try to get experience as soon as possible without jeopardizing your grades either through volunteering or internships.
The main point is to get out there and be proactive, ask questions and meet people. Your career journey is in your hands and it's up to you to take the first step. Hope this helps and good luck.
Updated
Carolyn’s Answer
Hello - I couldn't agree with Better more... it is great you are already thinking about this. The first thing I would do is actually try to map out what you want to achieve this summer. "Career goals" is a very broad statement. I would focus on creating a couple of SMART goals to ensure you are very clear in what you want to achieve. If you are unfamiliar with SMART goals, a simple google search will help. If you know what field you want to work in, I would start to look for positions on the internet. See what skills they are looking for, what kind of candidates do they want to have employed at their companies, etc. The company I work for values volunteering, so in that case, I might start to volunteer this summer. Networking, as mentioned by Betty is also a great way to start building your foundation. It is never to early to establish a Linkedin account as well.
Best of luck.
Best of luck.
Updated
Christen’s Answer
You've got some solid advice above.
Couple more ideas for you:
> With regard to certifications: Both Google and AWS offer some great free technical professional certification courses online.
> Internships are pretty competitive to land I hear . . . If that ends up being the case for you, know that you can design your own internship to - particularly if you can afford a non-paying internship. I feel this shows initiative and creativity. Don't know any college or employer that isn't looking for that!
Couple more ideas for you:
> With regard to certifications: Both Google and AWS offer some great free technical professional certification courses online.
> Internships are pretty competitive to land I hear . . . If that ends up being the case for you, know that you can design your own internship to - particularly if you can afford a non-paying internship. I feel this shows initiative and creativity. Don't know any college or employer that isn't looking for that!
Updated
Jared’s Answer
Hey Chris,
I think both Betty and Carolyn gave great answers. It's great to write out a plan with key milestones you hope to accomplish with well written goals. One recommendation I would offer is consider the value of internships as one of your goals/milestones. Internships provide you with first-hand experience into the job. They help you determine what you like or don't like. Internships also give you great experience to build your resume. Some colleges facilitate internship searches for their students, but if that's not the case then continue to network to search for opportunities. Internships can help accelerate your career.
Good luck!
I think both Betty and Carolyn gave great answers. It's great to write out a plan with key milestones you hope to accomplish with well written goals. One recommendation I would offer is consider the value of internships as one of your goals/milestones. Internships provide you with first-hand experience into the job. They help you determine what you like or don't like. Internships also give you great experience to build your resume. Some colleges facilitate internship searches for their students, but if that's not the case then continue to network to search for opportunities. Internships can help accelerate your career.
Good luck!