It seems like just yesterday I
was a freshman pursuing a degree in marine biology with no idea of what I
wanted to do after graduating, or how I was going to do it. I am now a senior
who will be completing a degree in marketing with a minor in public speaking in
May of 2015. I have three internships under my belt, great connections in my
career field, knowledge about my industry, and a solid idea of what I would
like to do after graduating and how I will be able to attain my goals. A lot
has changed in the past four years, and looking back I am happy to have been
able to take control of my career. By utilizing the many career services
resources here at the University of Tampa, I now understand how important it is
to get a head start on looking into your future goals and the steps that are
needed to achieve them.
To start, it helps to have an idea of what kind of industry you would
like to pursue. Again, I initially started my college career as a marine
biology student but I soon realized that I was not happy doing that. I dreaded
going to all of my classes and taking the time out of my day to study the
material. After making the switch to marketing, my classes are now something
that I look forward to, and I thoroughly enjoying learning more about the
industry. After finding a broad idea of what is the best fit for you, you can
then cater your goals to something more specific within your industry.
After deciding that marketing was the perfect route for me, I started
talking to people within the industry (professionals, professors, friends, and
family) gathering advice about the steps that I should take in order to succeed
in my field. I have found that there is one thing that is common to succeeding
in any field that you pursue: experience. Join clubs that relate to your
industry, if you are a biology major look into joining tri-beta, if you are a
math major join the math club. This campus is full of opportunity, but you must
be the one who is looking for it: you probably won’t receive a personal
invitation to become a part of a student organization. Another word of advice
is to earn a leadership position in the organization that you have become
involved in. Show that you are dedicated and prove that you can take on the
responsibility – it will be worth it when you are applying to jobs in the
future.
Another way of gaining experience is by interning. As many know, the
process to receiving an internship has become more and more competitive over
the years. You are never too young to intern, even if it’s just a couple of
hours a week. When you gain experience while you are young, even if it is at a
smaller, unheard of company, it will open the doors to many other, bigger
opportunities because you will have the prior experience that every big name
company seems to be looking for these days.
By getting involved and by gaining experience you will have been given
the opportunity to network without even realizing it. By maintaining these
relationships that you have created with people who you have worked with, or
participated in the same organization with, you will realize that these are the
people who will be able to help you within your field and if needed be, lead
you in the right path.
With these couple of steps, you will be headed on the right path to
owning your own career. It will give you the confidence that you need to step
into an interview and portray to an employer that you are the perfect fit for
what the company is looking for. Your college years can be some of the most
valuable years of your life if you utilize them in a way that is fit for your
career. There are some things that I wish I did differently as a first year
student, but I realized that it is never too late to get started, although the
sooner you realize it, the better!
Victoria Williams
Marketing Intern, Office of Career Services
The University of Tampa
