OK, so we’ve all heard urban legends about college campuses, right? Like the one about the female college student who was out late one night and when she returns to her dorm room decides not to turn on the lights so as not to bother her sleeping roommate. The next morning, she discovers her roommate has been slain and then finds a note written on the mirror that says, “Aren’t you glad you didn’t turn on the light?” Freaky, right? But this story, like many others, has never been proven to be true. I suppose there’s not too much harm in believing this story – maybe it makes you a bit more cautious; maybe you check in on your friends more frequently. There are a few career center legends, however, that are proving to be a bit more harmful than their spookier counterparts.
Legend #1: Career centers are just for seniors.
Truth or Spoof? SPOOF! The Career Center works with first year students, alums, and everyone in between!
Why is it potentially harmful to believe this legend? First year students, sophomores and juniors risk missing out on a wide range of services, programs and experiences if they wait until senior year to utilize the Career Center. Choosing a major, discovering your skills and interests, connecting with alums, finding internships and participating in a job shadow can all be done well before senior year. While it’s never really too late to go to the Career Center, students that go early generally find themselves at an advantage.
Legend #2: There are no internships in the arts or humanities.
Truth or Spoof? SPOOF! There are actually amazing opportunities to intern in performing and fine art and in the humanities.
Why is it potentially harmful to believe this legend? Increasing numbers of employers are recognizing the value of internship experience. Some employers are even looking for new graduates with multiple internships listed on their resumes. Students in the arts and humanities, as well as those in other fields, who gain internship experience(s) as undergrads will typically be more competitive in the job market than those who have not interned.
There are a few other legends left to be busted, but I think I’ll leave those for another posting. Stay tuned!
Related links:
What can I do with this major?
Tags: first year, internships, jobstrategies
These are two good ones for sure. Here are a few of the others I have heard over the years:
- career centers never bring anyone to campus that hires their major
- career centers only help people find jobs and don’t help you with grad school
I write about these kinds of myths and issues on our college career blog.
Marcie