JUST A PRETTY PIECE OF PAPER?
A diploma is just a piece of paper. Or is it? A diploma is anything and everything you make of it. It frames your efforts and adventures, trials and errors, friendships and coursework into one huge head start toward your future.
A career is just a job you get after you graduate. Or is it? With some well-planned co-ops and internships, a career can continue on the path you’ve been paving since your very first semester of college. As Alicia Hock ’03 says, “If not for this dose of the real world that the Co-op/Internship office exposed me to, all I would have is a pretty piece of paper to hang up on the wall.”
College puts you in the driver’s seat. Your strengths, priorities and curiosities are your route. There will be red lights: choices that don’t work. But green lights of better choices and new adventures are always around the corner, with signs to follow along the way:
• Bridges get you where you want to go. Don’t burn them.
o Treat everyone the way you like to be treated: with dignity and respect.
o Job opportunities come from people who know you; you never have a second chance to make a first impression!
o Before the interview, research the company and know people’s names.
o Follow through. Accept or decline interviews and job offers politely and promptly.
o Be on time and well prepared for interviews. And dress appropriately!
o After interviews, a well-written thank you note impresses employers.
o Be a team player.
o Your value system transports you wherever you go. Integrity: don’t leave home without it!
• Keep your eyes on the road:
o Be alert! Watch for opportunities to meet new people and try new things. Every experience builds on the last!
o Watch for deadlines. The best resume means nothing if the deadline has passed.
o Watch your GPA. A grade point average of 3.0 or better shows employers that you are interested in your course work and not afraid of hard work.
Go the extra mile.
o Master computer skills. For example, business and accounting majors have an edge if they know Excel and Access; media majors who know Quark Express are more marketable.
o Know a second language. The world is getting smaller by the day!
o Take the initiative: do more than the minimum. And do it well.
Warning: Heavy Traffic Ahead!
o You’re not alone on the road. Many talented and highly skilled applicants with impressive resumes and proven abilities are sharing your travels.
o You may have to take a different route. The perfect job might be a further commute. Or perhaps you’ll find public relations, marketing, accounting or computer jobs in unlikely places, like banks, hospitals or small businesses.
College is just course work. Or is it? Whatever road you take, friendships, co-ops,
internships and service learning experiences are a high octane for your journey. A diploma is more than course work. It’s your future. Make a career out of it!
Nancy Mahar
Coordinator, Co-ops, Internships and Service Learning
Mount Saint Mary College
330 Powell Avenue
Newburgh, NY 12550
845-569-3185
fax: 845-569-3535
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