Undergraduate student offers professional development advice to fellow students
Amidst the swirl of a busy academic schedule, it can be very hard to consider your professional development. We close our laptops after a major shift of homework and just want to relax and watch Netflix or sit on Tik Tok. How ever, for those of you who want to set yourself up for success following graduation, your work is not done yet.
Here is a list of five things you can do to separate yourself from your peers and have more control over your future career.
(1) Take Advantage of DPDP
The Daniels Professional Development Program contains courses BUS 1099 and BUS 2099 which are conducted in Margery Reed Hall. The importance of these courses is often overlooked by students who see the once a week lecture style meeting as a requirement rather than an opportunity. With the experience and care behind the multiple course directors, they will have a significant impact on your career after DU.
(2) Use the Right Social Media
Trade in your time spent on Tik Tok for time spent on LinkedIn. Perhaps the easiest way to get in touch with the professional world, LinkedIn provides the opportunity to find jobs and internships in your desired field and gives you a way to get your foot in the door.
(3) Pursue Weak Ties
Students put so much emphasis on the degree that they forget to expand their network during the academic process. Professional connections are a form of weak ties: people we do not know well personally but can do the most for us professionally. Not only are weak ties the gateway into the professional world, but they are often willing to help and will make the biggest difference in your initial career pathway.
4) Be Consistent
You should be as active on LinkedIn as you currently are on your Instagram. Successful people enjoy helping students like us because they were once in our shoes. If you do not hear back from a few people, keep your head, stay persistent, and know you could always be one message, one phone call, one-email away from a life-changing conversation.
(5) Do Your Own Thing
It is very easy to conform to your friends, your strong ties, and do what they are doing because it is what is considered normal. The reality is your closest group typically will do the least for you professionally because you are all like minded and share a similar knowledge base. By breaking out of conformity and learning from a different demographic, you will have more control and be more content with your career choice