My entrepreneurial endeavours began during my junior year of high school. I signed up to take a personal finance elective in hopes to learn how to balance a checkbook, invest money, and all the other "adulting" finance things. I, of course, learned how to do all of those things, but I also gained an interest in business and entrepreneurship. My teacher also taught an entrepreneurship elective and would spend some of our class time bringing in information from it as it is pretty applicable to finance skills. I have never thought about starting my own business before, but was persuaded to take his entrepreneurship elective my senior year. Through that course I learned about the LEAN startup process, how to formulate business plans, marketing skills, etc. The greatest takeaway was that no matter what industry you choose to work in, an entrepreneurial mindset will set you part as you gain new perspectives.

Coming into college, I didn't really touch entrepreneurship again until this year. I decided to join my university's entrepreneurship village and I am opting out of my typical mechanical engineering senior design to do an engineering entrepreneurship senior design program. I have learned how to identify pain points, new methods for ideating solutions, and how to evaluate product's potential success through resonance in preliminary customer interviews and market research. These skills are transferable into improving networking skills, general communication skills, and professionalism which are all things that are necessary in almost all career fields.

Companies are changing their recruiting criteria and no longer seek out those who look amazing on paper with 4.0 GPAs and rigorous class schedules. Hiring teams are placing greater emphasis on soft skills related to communication, adaptability, positivity, and the ability to work in diverse teams. If you have a 4.0 GPA and show strength in using such soft skills, then that's great. If you don't have a 4.0 GPA but still a decent one and also show strong soft skills, don't be discouraged because you are also a great potential candidate for many companies. Entrepreneurship courses assist in the development of these skills by providing a new insight on how companies grow and tools on customer discovery and gaining validation of ideas, products, etc.

Entrepreneurial courses diversify your courses and may be able to help you fill your network with strong contacts. Some of the contacts may even lead to job offers. Taking an entrepreneur class can develop a well-rounded character that ties together knowledge and creates a strong individual. Who knows, maybe taking a course in entrepreneurship will inspire you to become an entrepreneur and start your own venture.