Things I Wish I Knew

By Corinne Feight

As a Resident Assistant at Windsor Halls, I get the unique opportunity to interact with women of all ages—from freshman to sophomores as well as juniors and seniors. Seeing these young girls starting out college for the first time reminds me of when I first came to Purdue. I lived in McCutcheon my first year and it was honestly one of the best years of my life…minus the far walk from campus. Regardless, looking back now, there are so many things I wish I did, wish I had started early, or simply just wish I had known. Two weeks ago, I put on a program for my girls that centered on these ideas, and thought that I would share my senior wisdom via my blog too. I won’t be going into as much detail here, but if you have any questions, don’t hesitate to contact me at cfeight@purdue.edu.

First, I’ll start with more campus-based tips and then move onto jobs and internships. I can probably say that the first thing I heard when I walked onto campus was, “Get involved!” This can definitely seem overwhelming here since we have over 800 student-led organizations and clubs, but it’s important. Don’t discredit what it means to be a part of something. My advice to you is don’t be a hero. Don’t try to join every club you find interesting because you’ll tire yourself out and not really get to know anyone well in the organizations you join. Stick to a few that you are really passionate about and strive to obtain leadership positions. Each organization has to have an Executive Board. Find your fit there and develop close relationships with the Board and the members of the club. This will give you the depth you need on your résumé as well as allow you to gain valuable leadership experience. And don’t forget about the opportunity to expand your network!

Next, and I cannot stress this enough, fill out the campus-wide scholarship form! It takes time…a lot of time, but that is exactly why everyone else isn’t doing it. I have been filling it out every year since I have been here. It’s true the first few years won’t be as rewarding because you don’t have as much to show for yourself. However, once you begin getting that experience and getting involved, you will have a more competitive application. None of my friends ever took the time to fill them out and thus made it easier for me to get the scholarships I was applying for. Believe me, it will be worth your time and effort when the scholarships start rolling in!

You’ve probably heard this over and over again, but it really is true that the job market is about who you know. Figure out now what you want to do and where you want to work then search your network for people who can get you there or people who have the connections that can. This means that while you’re in school…network, network, network! Get to know your professors, especially if you’ll need recommendation letters down the line for grad school or law school. Don’t burn bridges with your friends. Develop a stellar LinkedIn profile, which is easily the most useful job-searching tool of this century. Many previous blogs have talked about its advantages so I’ll just leave you with that. Don’t forget to use Purdue’s Alumni! They want to help you and can be advocates for you down the line in their field. Don’t be afraid to ask someone to be your mentor. Who doesn’t love to talk about themselves? You just need to go out and find them because they won’t be actively seeking you.

Mostly importantly, you need get an internship. Try to get one in your field. This not only gives you experience, but also allows you to weed out certain aspects of your field that may not align with your interests. Internships are so important because many companies hire directly out of them. This means that it doubles your chances of getting a job after graduation and that it’s that much harder to get into a position when you don’t have an internship. Keep an eye out for things you’re interested in and be persistent! Taking the initiative really goes a long way and will help you set yourself apart when you are shooting for that internship or job.

I like to inspire myself with a quote by Steve Martin: “Be so good they can’t ignore you.” Find what speaks to you and get started!