Finding time for career exploration

According to UCLA’s Higher Education Research Institute, more than half of all freshmen nationally say that a key reason they picked their college was because “graduates get good jobs.”

I don’t think I’ve ever heard a friend at UNC explain their college choice quite like that, though it seems increasingly important when we hit senior year.

And because we neglect to think about life beyond Chapel Hill, we may miss out on the resources that are available right here on campus through University Career Services, as we prepare for gainful employment.

In the past four years, I’ve heard students praise UNC’s extracurricular activities, interesting majors and school pride; if they mention financial considerations, it’s limited to low tuition or scholarships, rather than future aims.

Career exploration and preparation for applications gets trumped by more immediate interests.

Only 390 students attended any of the networking nights that UCS held throughout 2010 — a fraction of the student attendance at a single basketball game, let alone a football game.

So when senior year comes around and it’s time to figure out the market value of a UNC education, it can be a rather rude awakening.

Of course, it’s not just as simple as choosing between attending sports games or careers events. (I hope we could all agree to forgo watching one of the many basketball victories predicted this year if it would get us a job.)

Unless you are completely set on a specific profession, the dilemmas are many: Do you pursue the research project or volunteer opportunity abroad that you think will be formative, or take your first steps into corporate America through an internship? Should pre-professional clubs ever trump Dance Marathon participation?

And, assuming no aspiration to the academe, do you pursue the philosophy degree you’ve always wanted, or opt for a more stable future as a business major?

Though we can find compromises in a double major or more activities, these choices define our University experience.

I’m not about to offer any ground-breaking answers: I opted for the social sciences degree and broad extracurricular activities, yet gave my summers to professional experiences.

But whatever priority you give to preparing for your life beyond UNC, remember that there is a wealth of resources available through UCS to all students.

There’s a career exploration course for underclassmen (EDUC 131), resume reviews or tailored practice interviews for students further down the path, with a host of options in between.

And out of the heart of our campus (an office in Hanes Hall, by Polk Place) UCS can connect students to hundreds of employers and thousands of on-campus interviews (3,980, in fact, in 2010).

Ray Angle, director of UCS, told me that though many students graduate without ever walking through their doors, some are hit with a reality check when they find they can’t use the career services anymore.

It’s a rough economy out there, Tar Heels. We should find time to make sure we’re ready for it.

Mark Laichena is a senior political science and PWAD major from London, UK. Contact him at laichena@gmail.com.