Parting advice
As my last undergraduate semester comes to an end, I would like to reflect upon my experiences from these past four years and share what I have learned with you. I am not going to discuss the topics I learned from my computer networks and security major, but I will instead discuss with you what I have learned about the “real world” and what it takes to make it beyond this campus.
Overall, there are two sets of skills you should focus on attaining while in college: communication and networking skills. In addition, you should focus on doing at least one internship while still a student.
The first, communication skills, are paramount to all other skills. In fact, communication skills are considered some of the most important skills to have in the workplace. Anyone majoring in any of the STEM-related fields should consider taking as many communication courses as possible. The more speech, writing or communication courses you can take, the better off you will be when you actually start interning or working. After doing several internships myself, I learned firsthand how important communication skills are and how you must focus on gaining these skills while still a student.
The second important skill is networking. I can’t stress enough how important networking is to getting an internship or job in the future. If there is one thing that I want you to get out of this article, it is that you need to network with as many people as you can. It might be hard at first to just go over to strangers and tell them what you are doing in college and what your aspirations are, but over time it will get easier, and you’ll soon see that you’ve become a networking whiz. The connections you gain from networking can be useful for everything from helping you decide which career path to take to helping you get that sought-after internship. So network, network, network!
Finally, an important task you should take on while a student is doing an internship at some point during your college career. Gaining work experience through a student internship while still a student is critical for several reasons. Besides the fact that an internship will help you immensely with getting a job upon graduation, internships provide you the chance to learn more about your field. There is a stark contrast between college and the workplace, and by doing internships, you will be able to gain the skills employers want. Furthermore, internships provide you with the chance to network with individuals who work in your field of study and can help you get a job one day. Overall, internships provide many benefits that are just not available after you graduate, so it is important to start interning as soon as you can, even if that means working through your summer breaks.
Just as an example, when a construction company wants to build an apartment complex, they first start by building the foundation; this consists of digging deep into the ground and placing small rocks, large rocks and rebar. After the concrete is poured, then the building process can begin. This same analogy can be applied to your college experiences. Your experiences, such as communication skills, networking, and internships, are analogous to the rocks, rebar and concrete of a building’s foundation. Hopefully, if you build this strong foundation while still a student, you will have the opportunity to excel in any field that you choose and your future.
Ariel Golfeyz is a senior computer networks and security major at University of Maryland University College. She can be reached at agolfeyz@yahoo.com.
