Thinking About Life After College

Currently graduation is a month away and it is stressful to think about. After May, it will be the first time I will not be returning to school. Studying and completing assignments is all I have known since Elementary school. Knowing what you want to do the rest of your life was scary to choose going into college, but finding a company to apply to, to start your career is even scarier. I did not realize how much my life will change after that tassel is turned at graduation. One thing I strongly recommend throughout college is completing at least one internship. This helps so much when deciding a career after school. This gives you experience as to what an organization does on a day-to-day basis. Over summer of 2023 I completed my internship at UPMC Williamsport with their marketing department. I learned a ton within this internship and was given the opportunity to network with a variety of people within the company. In this internship I assisted on blog posts, created flyers for events, as well as traveling to UPMC Pittsburgh to see how their bigger offices operate. I was also able to participate in seminars and meetings to see what takes place within the company to achieve goals and maintain a healthy work environment. After the internship was over I felt more comfortable as to what my future career would look like and was able to apply things I have learned in my classes.

Another great recommendation to work toward your career after graduation is researching on your own. Currently I am in the career search and looking at different companies and qualifications based on the position. I am watching YouTube videos and Tik Toks on different qualifications I may not be 100% knowledgable about. However, I am making myself knowledge of these things to make myself in the running for that specific role within that company. You want to start building your personal brand as soon as possible to make yourself stand out when applying for jobs. I had a hard time thinking of my personal brand, but it is all about showcasing YOU. Start gathering your different projects you worked on inside or outside of class or within your internship. Put together a portfolio to showcase your work and put your strengths on display.

Even if you are only a freshman, start working toward your future career. Join clubs related to your major, apply to internships, and start job searching early. Create your personal brand and build your portfolio early to get ahead of the game. College is about finding a career. so put in the work to be able to do what you love after graduation. I am still continuing to build my portfolio every day as you always want to work your way up to the top.