Springing for Experience!

Believe it or not, spring is here! I don’t know about you all, but this is my favorite time of year on our campus. The flowers are blooming, the grass is greener, and the smiles on campus are brighter. Now that classes have come to and end, this is an exciting time for so many of us, so be sure to cherish every moment!

In addition to all the fun and adventures you will be having over summer, we encourage you to take some time to gain some experience too! Summer will be a great time for you to take what you have learned in the classroom, and apply it to an experience, whether that is a job, internship, volunteer opportunity, shadowing, and more.

Gaining experience helps you to be more self-aware and discover what you are looking for in the future. You may enjoy working on a computer, but learn through an experience that you want to work more with people. This is always better to do sooner rather than later in what we call the “real world.”

Here are a few resources to take advantage of to help you find some experience for the summer!

1. Hokies4Hire

Want to work for a company who wants to hire Hokies? We want you to as well! Hokies4Hire is a database that lets students search for co-ops, internships or full-time positions that have been posted by employers specifically looking to hire Hokies. The database also allows you to participate in the On Campus-Interviewing program, and post your resume to the online resume database. Take some time to search the list of employers; you never know what you might find!

2. CareerShift

Want to live at home this summer, but still gain some experience? You can do that too! CareerShift is a comprehensive online resource that allows you to bring everything together to search for jobs in once place and you can save your searches. You can search based on your location, so you don’t have to worry about that! This resource is not only great for location specific or industry specific searches, you can also find contacts at a particular organization.

3. LinkedIn

Want to get connected with people in your potential future industry? That is a GREAT idea! LinkedIn is a way for you to professionally connect with employers, alumni, and organizations. You can check out the jobs section, get connected, and learn more about the job and internship search. Do you know a specific organization that you would like to work with? Find them on LinkedIn! A lot of organizations post their current position openings on their page. Developing your online presence is extremely important in today’s world, so let’s start with LinkedIn. Be sure to check out the Virginia Tech Alumni page on LinkedIn. You can see what alumni are doing now, where they are working and more!

4. Post-Graduation Survey and Report

Want to see what other Hokies are doing? You can! Be sure to take some time to check out our Post-Graduation Survey and Report. The report is collected every year for Virginia Tech graduates who have completed bachelor’s and associate’s degrees. In the report you can find information based on university, college, and major. Once there, you can find out what grads are doing, and if they are working, where/who they are working for. This is a really great tool to see the endless possibilities ahead of you!

Remember:

The important thing to keep in mind when attaining these positions is to keep your options open. Know that there is no one-way to search for experiences and you can create your own path. But you never know where experiences might take you, with whom they might connect you, and what skills you will gain along the way!

If you are feeling overwhelmed by the process, that is okay! We are here to help! Spring on over to our office to talk to someone about gaining experience. We have walk-in advising available Monday-Friday from 12-3pm. You can also schedule a 30-minute appointment with an advisor if you feel that will be most helpful. We want you to enjoy your path to summer, and want to help you get there.

Happy summer and happy searching!