Photo of UW-Madison students meeting with an advisor at College Library. Image courtesy of Creative Commons.
Entering college is both exciting and daunting, especially when you already are thinking about your future career path. Many ask themselves, “how do I even start my career?” and “who can I network with to help me be successful?”. As a rising junior at UW-Madison, I’ve been in your shoes. Here is some of my top three pieces of advice to answer these questions.
- Find your Path
Choosing your major can be overwhelming and scary, but it isn’t set in stone. You should start by taking courses that align with your interests and take advantage of UW-Madison’s many offerings. For me, I found my passion for Journalism after enrolling in an introductory journalism class that I did not want to even take.
2. Early, Baby Steps
As far as networking, it isn’t just for upperclassman, and should be something that you start to do early on. You can do this by joining student organizations, attending career fairs and speaking to advisors. Don’t hesitate to reach out to your professors, their impact goes beyond the four walls of the classroom, they are also there to guide and connect you.
3. Take Advantage of your Down-Time
Summers as a college student are the perfect time to gain experience. You can apply for internships, volunteer opportunities or part-time jobs in your field of interest. If you are ensure about your career path, internships are a great way to explore different industries.
Overall, planning ahead is important, but it is totally alright to change directions as you discover more about yourself and your unique interests. Use your college experience to explore and simply gain experience, while utilizing UW-Madison’s wealth of resources. Everyone’s journey is different, always remember that!