Sooner or later, we all have to graduate and enter the real world. For many of us, that time will come immediately after our 4B term. Others will decide to specialize and continue on with further education, either with graduate studies in engineering or will switch professions entirely. As we progress through our undergraduate careers, here is one question that many of us don’t set out answering until we are close to graduating: What’s your plan?
Here is the hard truth. Job opportunities rarely fall into our lap. We have to work for them, some more than others. The majority of individuals who land awesome jobs have had some idea of what they have wanted to do, and have taken steps to put themselves in a position to land their dream job.
Over my undergraduate career, I have made some important realizations I wish to pass along to the rest of my undergraduate colleagues. Take some time and consider these four points seriously. They may help shape the future of your professional life and significantly reduce the amount of work you need to do to snag the career and life you really want.
1. What are you actually interested in?
This is the million dollar question. You will be wasting precious time if you eff around and don’t spend the time to figure out what it is you actually want to do. What area of engineering do you want to specialize in? Or, do you even want to continue on in engineering after you graduate? There are endless possibilities you can take with your professional career. Don’t get locked in for five years studying something you have no interest in. It’s okay to change your mind; it’s better to realize this a year in instead of getting a degree you will never use.
This is the same for jobs. If you don’t like what you are doing, change it. Life is too short to be spent doing work you don’t have a passion for. Responsibilities like a family and a mortgage will eventually limit this freedom, but that is why you should take the time to start figuring it out now, instead of waiting until you settle down.
2. Build your resume.
I hate to say it, but that resume of yours is a golden ticket in a lot of cases to a lot of opportunities. The ability to convey where you have been employed, what projects you have worked on, and what type of extracurricular involvement you have done speaks volumes about yourself.
This is Especially true for the first and second years, these are not years to waste. You have so many opportunities in university to pursue extracurricular activities. Getting involved early with a student build team, a student newspaper, a charity, or student government are great ways to learn something outside of your academics that is most likely a transferable skill for the real world. Who knows? You may stumble across something that you become passionate about.
For students who are interested in pursuing graduate studies, make sure you take the time and do research underneath a professor. If you don’t know what the process is to apply to graduate school, or what the NSERC and OGS scholarships are, do some research now. Many institutions lean heavily on the amount of research and other things you have done in your spare time.
We have a great advantage with the co-op program at UW. For many of us, we will be able to compile a work resume that students at other universities are extremely envious of. Don’t sell yourself short. Articulate what you have done, and don’t be afraid to take some poetic license with your descriptions. You can take a mundane job description and transform it into a very interesting set of job responsibilities.
3. Develop a 10-year plan.
Where do you see yourself when you are 30?
There is no reason why you can’t sit down and write down what you hope to accomplish by this point in your life. Although one work term may change your mind on what you want to do, the key is that you can always change your plan. At least with a plan, you have an idea of what you want to do with your professional life. It gives you a high level idea of what you hope to accomplish, so then you can slowly start figuring out what steps you need to take to get there.
4. Never be finished with your education.
There are a great deal of us that believe that our education suddenly stops when we write that last exam in 4B and we graduate. This is a terrible mindset to have.
Many of us don’t realize that a large percentage of us will change careers at some point in our lives. If you allow your education to stagnate and you only focus on your current job, you will be at a distinct disadvantage in terms of your marketability. Plan to continue taking courses, be it management courses, technical courses, or interest courses. Keep your skill set fresh and up-to-date. Don’t be afraid to develop personal projects that allow you to continue to learn and grow. It will pay off in the short term for yourself, and it may pay off in the long term if you decide to switch jobs, positions, or careers.
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Passion is everything. If you are genuinely interested in what you are doing for a living, your life will be more fulfilling. Don’t be afraid to take a chance and chase your passions. If you don’t know what your passion is, don’t fret! You’ll figure it out. Just remember, it’s up to you to find it.
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