Advice & Career Corner: Internships and career goals

On today’s advice and career corner, let’s talk about deciding your career plans after graduation and what you can do as an undergraduate to prepare for your career goals. Regardless of whether you are still exploring different fields or have a set career in mind (and it’s ok to change your path!), planning and finding the right opportunities as an undergraduate will go a long way.

In general, a good starting point would be to have a resume/CV. Ever wondered what the difference between a resume and CV is? A resume is a shortened, one-page document that provides a brief introduction and overview of your education history, work experience, and projects. A CV, on the other hand, is an extended and more detailed resume. It is beneficial to have a record of all the amazing work and volunteer experiences that you’ve had, and more importantly show how you have contributed to these projects and demonstrated relevant skills. There are many tools online on writing a good resume/CV. I think a good rule of thumb is to ensure that it is easy to read and understand the most relevant points in your academic experience. Be sure to not only get feedback from your peers, your university’s career centre is also a valuable resource.

You can use a good resume to apply for many exciting opportunities as an undergraduate student. An area of interest to many students is finding internships. Unsure of what you want to do after graduation? Internships are a great way to get a taste of many fields and acquire valuable industry experience. However, they can also be competitive to secure and many students feel lost in the application process. 

Here are some tips that could help you find and score that next internship! 

1. Firstly, it is important to network. This could be through your peers, career fairs, LinkedIn, and even your professors. The more people you have networked with, the higher your chances of finding an opportunity that fits your interests and goals. 
2. Secondly, be organised. Create a good spreadsheet tracking internships, websites, job descriptions, links, and deadlines. This will go a long way in organising your applications, and also prioritising opportunities by interest and deadlines. 
3. Thirdly, a well-written resume and cover letter is helpful. As mentioned before, make sure to check and edit your resume and cover letter to make sure that employers are able to get a good understanding of your strengths. Many of them have so many applications to go through - you’d want to make sure yours does not get lost or misunderstood because it wasn’t clearly written. 
4. Lastly, hone your interviewing skills. Interviews may seem daunting, but a good way to make them less daunting is to prepare questions in advance and practise with your friends or in front of a mirror. Knowing common questions like “tell us about yourself” and what to say can definitely leave interviewers a stronger impression. Confidence is also key!

Still unsure of your career goals? Speak with peers or alumni, join campus clubs related to potential careers, volunteer, intern, and network. Keep exploring opportunities and keep working on these important career skills!