Getting Ahead of the Game

Many first-year students have a hard time viewing themselves as professionals in the workforce. As a large percentage of incoming first-year students have only had part-time job experiences, they often believe that they lack the necessary skills to even walk into The Career Center. These students may feel insecure about their previous experiences and unsure about how it relates to their future career goals. They believe that they don’t have a strong enough background to fill a resume, so they may not even try to create one at all. What these students fail to realize is that it is never too early to begin exploring their professional identities and how beneficial their skill sets and experiences can be as they begin their career path. 

There is a common misconception that professional opportunities, such as internships, field work experiences, and full-time positions, only come into play in a student’s third or fourth year of college. This notion allows students to feel like they can push back the start date on resume building and interview preparation, which could not be further from the truth. Opportunity can knock at any given moment, so it is imperative that you are all set and ready to go when your time comes. Visiting The Career Center as early as your freshman year will allow you to embrace your professional identity from the start, thus making you comfortable and confident when the perfect position comes your way. Resume critiques, practice interviews and job/internship searches are just a few of the resources that are at your disposal as soon as you step onto campus. In fact, even attending career fairs will help you acclimate to communicating with employers, which will further boost your confidence as you start the interview processes. It is never too early to start chasing your dreams and The Career Center is eager to help! 

Sabrina Iaria 

Graduate Assistant, External Relations 

The Career Center