Your Career Path Starts Your Freshman Year

With my senior year weeks away, I find that I am excited for such an important year and feel surprisingly confident for what awaits me. Perhaps some feel a little more worried about life after college and the stresses of job searching, and sometimes I feel these ways, too. However, this summer I have spent a lot of time reflecting on my last three years at Purdue and have really come to appreciate the mistakes I have made and the experiences I have had. With that, here are a few pieces of information I wish I had paid more attention to when I was a freshman:

1. Networking is not a task exclusively for upperclassmen. You may tell yourself that you’ve “got time,” but I’m here to tell you that that time will be up before you know it. Additionally, too often students fall under the false impression that networking is for making connections with all professionals except professors and other faculty. I would argue that those within the university are our best resources, mentors, and potential connections.
2. Club callouts are worth the long trek from McCutcheon to Beering Hall. The first few weeks of the semester are full of club and organization callout meetings. Though they are during the week, and usually after dinner, students often struggle to make the time to attend and dread heading to something new. I encourage all students to keep in mind that clubs are not only “worth it” for the addition to a résumé, rather they can also be an addition to your life when considering the amazing peers you may meet and career opportunities that may come your way as a result. 
3. Résumés are always relevant. No matter your year, freshman, sophomore, junior, senior, your résumé is important. The résumé you applied to college and for scholarships with will not cut it. You’ll be more than grateful you have accesses to an up-to-date résumé when you spot an email in your inbox for a research opportunity or job posting.