Studying is something of a double-edged sword. On the one hand, it’s a great way to improve your long-term career prospects. But on the other hand, it’s hard to make ends meet while you’re doing it. Every year, thousands of students mull the same question: how do they boost their job prospects while they’re at university?
Volunteer
The problem with getting a college education these days is that it is something that lots of people do. This might sound like a good thing, but all it does is increase competition for the top jobs and makes it harder to stand out. Students, therefore, have to look for other ways to boost their CVs.
One way that they can do this is to start volunteering. Volunteering has always been an excellent way to make yourself stand out from the crowd and grab the attention of future employers. Just like landing a part-time job, volunteering shows future employers that you have good management skills and that you’re willing to dedicate your time to a good cause.
Choose The Right Degree
Different degrees have different returns when it comes to the job market. Business administration degrees, for instance, are much more likely to land you a well-paying job in the future, compared to arts-based degrees. When thinking about university, don’t just think about the degree that you’ll enjoy, reflect on the degree that will most benefit your job prospects in the future.
Keep Track Of Everything You Do
Most students do nothing at university other than sitting around drinking and having a good time. And while that’s all part of the experience, it shouldn’t be the main event.
Most of your colleagues won’t be keeping their own portfolios of all the stuff that they’ve been doing during their degree, and so if you have a collection of material that you can show employers, you’ll be at a significant advantage when you apply for a job. When employers can see what you’ve been doing, they’re much more likely to consider your candidacy than they are a person who hasn’t got any evidence to back up their purported abilities.
Start A Business
Starting a business in college might seem like a bad idea: after all, aren’t you supposed to be studying? But it turns out that many college students start businesses on a small scale. One of the reasons that they do this is, of course, to make money. But the other is to show future employers that they are financially literate and that they’re able to understand profit and loss.
As a student, there are all sorts of things you could sell. You could hire out a room once per week and give dance classes. You could teach foreign students English, or you could start up your own maker project and try to sell a gadget to the market.
Go Traveling
Finally, employers like people who are well-travelled. People who have been all over the world are usually very good at representing companies in international markets. Take a trip with your friends around Europe, or go to summer camp.