Networking

Being kind, working hard, and lending a hand to people when they need it will help you in the future. Networking is “the act of meeting new people in a business or social context.”  Interacting with new people almost daily, college is the perfect time to create relationships with classmates and/or professors. After graduation it is helpful to make sure to have all of the contact information for as many people as possible. It is important to not only have a way to get into contact, but stay in touch, even if it is via e-mail every couple months. There is always a chance that they can come through in the future to help you out. “Networking offers another avenue to reach vendors, customers, future business partners… It allows you to present yourself and your networking objective in a much more personal way than an advertisement, promotion, or an online resume can,” explains Albert Schuster, president of Network in Philadelphia.

It can be intimidating to approach professionals, but think of them on a personal level. Get to know them on a human level, what are their hobbies, and eventually he or she might be able to suggest jobs that would be good for you, while possibly introducing you to a person within that company. It is important to let it be known that you care for them and are not just using them to as a contact to get ahead.

If you have a job in mind that you are interested in obtaining, you should start trying to create contacts in your junior or senior year of college. While students might lack professional experience, the ability to “pitch” oneself to a hiring manager during the application process can be better than submitting a resume loaded with experience, says Schuster. Networking may seem easy, but it is a job in itself. You have to be proactive, reaching out to as many people as possible instead of waiting for them to meet you. It takes courage and an outgoing personality to meet and keep in contact with you newly found friends. Today’s networking tools give everyone the opportunity to reach out and take advantage of the edge that a “foot in the door” gives.

1. http://www.google.com/search?sourceid=navclient&ie=UTF-8&rlz=1T4SNYR_enUS310US311&q=define%3a+networking
2. http://www.witi.com/careers/2005/networking.php
3. http://www.wisegeek.com/what-should-i-know-about-college-networking.htm
4. http://www.quintcareers.com/networking_timetable.html
5. http://career-advice.monster.com/job-search/professional-networking/create-a-personal-networking-plan/article.aspx

Poster Analysis

For the poster design project, I used Adobe In-Design. The photo was one that I had taken the previous year at a football game. When I stretched the photo to fit, I was worried that the pixels would be enlarged and noticeable, but it happened to turn out better than expected. I was worried that the picture would not have a good place to add text with all the dark and bright colors. In the end however, there was enough room in the sky to insert my slogan which is “U of O: More than an Academic Experience”. I used a size 24 and 36 font with an italic accent to make it stand out and make a bold statement. In the photograph, there were fans wearing the school colors, along with the marching band playing on the field. This was perfect for representing the University of Oregon, having not only school colors, but the band being upbeat and fans cheering which all showed the fantastic school spirit. The point was to show the University as a lively place to get  involved with great people. People from this picture came from a variety of backgrounds, but with the one thing in common being the “University” where they were> able to come together as one. The audience targeted would be past, present and future students that have been involved with the University or are looking to be part of this great college atmosphere.

Internships

For a long time, college has been seen as the key to getting a good job. As the world changes rapidly and technology improves, competition in the workplace creates a higher demand for internships and extra experience. The skills learned in an internship give students a head start in the working world. Statistics show that college graduates have a wider range of opportunities in the job market and they will earn a substantially greater sum of money in their lifetimes. According to a report released by the U.S. Census Bureau in 2007, a college graduate with a Bachelor’s degree can expect to earn at least $1 million more than a high school graduate in his/her lifetime. With the standards changing in the business world, the work force today has put a lot of pressure on people to not only get a college degree, but to have experience when entering the work force. While many students may work jobs during college, the experiences employers are looking for is specific to the business or industry they represent. Many students get exposure in their field of study through entering into internships.

Attending college is a crucial step, but you can greatly improve your classroom knowledge through internships. An internship is a work-related learning experience for students wishing to obtain hands on work experience in a certain occupational field. Most internships are temporary and only last approximately three months. Being involved in an internship has many advantages. It helps build individual responsibility and gives one an opportunity to gain industry-specific experience. In the job market today, most employers prefer that you have some experience before being hired. In fact, jobs are more likely to hire a person after their internship is completed. It will also make your resume stand out among the many applications which they receive.

Students can participate in a variety of internships during the school year, or the summer terms. Many internships are paid work experience although some may not involve pay. University of Oregon has a career center which helps students locate a company that will allow them to gain some experience in the field of their study. The career center also has faculty that helps provide students with resources, assist them in determining goals, facilitates research for the process of selecting possible job situations to accommodate an internship, and challenge them to reach their full potential.

Internships can be very beneficial to the students by giving them on the job experience which may help them in their decisions regarding career choices. If the internship in their field of study is fulfilling they may pursue a similar position following graduation.

http://www.collegeview.com/college_internships.html

http://career.uoregon.edu/

http://www.usatoday.com/news/nation/census/2002-07-18-degree-dollars.htm

http://www.collegeboard.com/student/plan/starting-points/156.html

http://www.intstudy.com/articles/nusinter.htm