As a junior or senior in college, the thought of life after graduation seems absolutely terrifying. Now is the time to be applying for internships or jobs, and if you aren’t, then you feel as if you are behind everyone else. At La Paloma, you hear conversations between two business majors discussing the companies where they have already committed to a secure career. In Aromas, you listen to science majors talking about their grad school applications. If you are anything like me, then that will make you go into full panic mode. What if you haven’t done those things?
It’s okay to be unsure. As much as we would like, life cannot be planned out. Sometimes, we need to live with the unknown. If that still creates great amounts of anxiety, then don’t worry. There are ways to ease the stress using services provided directly from USD.
First off, make an appointment with a career counselor. You can do so through the “Career Development Center” tab on your MySanDiego Portal. The counselors can help you figure out what you want to do after graduation, whether that be attending more school or jumping into a career. If you do not even know where to start, then they can assist you with making a basic outline of a resume and tell you how to make your cover letters stand out.
Second, check out “Handshake” also provided under the “Career Development Center” tab. You can upload your resume, skills, and career interests. I am horrible at navigating through technology, but the job and internship search service on this program was super easy to understand. You fill out information about what you would like in a future job, and it will provide you will applications pertaining to your location and upcoming deadlines. You can apply for the positions you are interested in right on “Handshake” for convenience too!
After you have done these two things, try to get involved in more organizations on campus. The main way people get jobs is through connections and “who they know.” Therefore, the more things you are involved with on campus, then the more likely you are to know somebody who can help you get a job in the future. Also, taking on leadership positions is a huge resume booster.
I hope this eased the stress a bit for those who are freaking out about the future. Everything will work out for you, so for now, do you want you can. Enjoy your time in San Diego! You only have a limited amount of time here. You don’t want to spend it worrying.
