11 Ways to Graduate from University with Work Experience

2024 Author: Malcolm Clapton | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-17 03:44

With these tips, you will have something to include on your resume.

1. Get into the press center of your university

If you want to become an author, journalist or PR specialist, then this is almost a win-win option. Employers will see this as a logical start to your career.

And even if preparing news, texts and advertisements is far from your dream, participation in the public life of the university will still benefit you. You will have to meet a large number of people, you will develop useful connections and life experiences, and you will gain valuable skills. You may also become quite famous.

2. Join a union

By becoming a part of the trade union committee of your educational institution, you take on certain responsibilities and take an active life position. And responsibility and activity are the qualities that employers especially value. You will at least be able to stand out from the background of people who are indifferent to much around.

This is a case where young professionals can be considered on an equal footing with jobseekers with work experience. The trade union can gain experience in promoting and implementing student initiatives, resolving controversial issues, organizing events. Get the skill of writing official documents, budgeting, interacting with suppliers and sponsors.

Maria Yurieva Deputy Head of HR Department, TechnoProgress Group

Plus, active social work can open the way for you to the youth government, city administration, and so on. If you want, of course.

3. Do research

If your area of academic interest is related to your future profession, do not forget to include this on your resume. These can be publications in scientific journals, field research, and even a thesis. The main thing is that they reflect your professional interest in the topic.

It seems like marketing research isn't as good for your resume as real work experience. But remember that the theoretical background is better than nothing at all. In addition, you will tighten up your studies.

4. Do not neglect manufacturing practices

Some students try to find such a company where they can simply sign the necessary papers without forcing them to do anything. Others may want to try themselves in a profession of interest, but face the fact that the company is not initially interested in an intern. As a result, the student has nothing to do, he just sits in the office all day or does banal assignments.

Both cases are a waste of time that you can use to benefit your career. After all, the period of practice, the skills that you received there, and the tasks that you performed, can be successfully indicated in the work experience.

Try to find a place to practice yourself. Ideally, if it will be a company that you want to get into in the future. Contact an employee of the company - a human resources specialist or the head of the department in which you want to work. Specify in advance what exactly you will be doing and what tasks await you.

5. Take an internship

Internship differs from practice in that it is passed on their own free will and on personal initiative. It has nothing to do with the educational process and usually lasts 2-3 months. In addition, sometimes it is paid.

There are several ways to find a company where you will be accepted as an intern:

• Use the application to find a job. On HeadHunter, you can choose the type of work "Internship", and SuperJob has a section for students.
• Search social media groups dedicated to this topic: they often publish interesting internships in your country and abroad that have yet to be competed for. But it's worth it.
• Contact directly those companies where you would like to work. Some of them do not advertise vacancies, so you may not find any information about them. But there is still a chance that you will be invited.

If you are afraid that an internship may interfere with your studies, look for vacancies for a distance, such interns are also hired.

There are programs for the summer holidays. The most popular of the international ones is Work and Travel. Students travel to the United States for 4 months, get a job, and can travel in their free time. Participation in such an internship will show the prospective employer your knowledge of the language, flexibility and ability to adapt to the situation. And also - that you not only strive for relaxation and entertainment, but are also ready to work hard.

6. Become a volunteer

Volunteering provides an opportunity to help those who need it, make new acquaintances, get moral satisfaction and travel around the world. And besides, fill your resume. This work experience will tell about you as a person who is sympathetic, proactive and stress-resistant.

Having volunteer experience will show the employer the skills that are important for any specialist: teamwork, the ability to meet deadlines and be responsible. The main thing is to show the relevance of this experience to a specific vacancy.

Andrey Vinogradov Head of the Career Development Center "Netology"

7. Make your hobby an asset

If you just join an acting class or play a lot of video games, this may not be anything special. But for some professions it can be weighty. The main thing is to find a connection between the skills that will be useful to you in your future work.

If you are good at presenting yourself in public, acting experience will help in the presenter profession. The gift of persuasion is in the business of the sales manager. And if you are well versed in the genres and mechanics of games, are engaged in streaming or esports, you can turn out to be a tester.

Therefore, develop your hobby and find a way to apply it to your future field of activity. And mention it in your resume.

8. Start a blog

If the scientific theory and design of materials according to GOST is not at all yours, write in a free style. In a blog, you can do the same research and describe personal observations, only publish them yourself and not depend on academic requirements.

Write for yourself. Invite friends and acquaintances, involve them in the discussion - if you are classmates, they may also be interested in your ideas. Employers will certainly not ignore your desire to develop.

If you're looking to become an author or journalist, blogging is a great way to demonstrate your writing skills. And for future SMM specialists and marketers - also the ability to draw up a content plan, disseminate information and attract new subscribers. After all, blogging is a job too, and it can be captured on a resume.

9. Come up with your own project

Who said that the portfolio should contain examples of solving only real problems? Think of a job for yourself: create a website, make an audit of someone's page or a development strategy for a company, promote a community on social networks, write a few articles, organize an event - whatever.

Yes, you do it for free. But you will have to first learn how to do it, which means that you have to get the appropriate experience. And the employer will appreciate it.

10. Find a freelance job

Look for a suitable freelance exchange. Either find a part-time job through friends, in VKontakte groups, or simply by placing an ad on your page. Here, the "fictional work" from the last paragraph can also be used as a portfolio.

You probably won't get a lot of money and experience. At least at first. But you will be able to decide for yourself how much time to spend on such practice, so that it is convenient to combine it with study. True, it can be very difficult to force yourself to work on an indefinite schedule.

It is good if you are disciplined. Then, having collected several works for an example, you can go to show them for an interview for a vacancy of interest.

11. Look for a part-time job

The most obvious option is to get a part-time job at the company. Finding an employer who will agree to take a student is not always easy, but you must try.

Use the tips from the points above: show how much you are interested in the job. However, do not try to assure your boss that you will give all your best as a full-fledged full-time specialist - it is far from the fact that this will turn out to be true.