Commencement weekend is a little less than 7 months away. It may sound exciting to your mom and dad who don’t have to pay tuition after May 18th, but to me and other seniors, it’s one of the most terrifying thoughts. College has been the most amazing three and going on four years of my life, and to think that that will all come to an end soon is very scary. And it makes frightening questions come to mind – what do you mean no more four-day weekends? How am I going to afford anything without a student discount? And the question that is without a doubt on everyone’s mind: where am I going to work once I graduate?
Fortunately, BU and COM specifically prepare you well for graduation… or at least the best anyone could be prepared for graduation. COM has a great resource that I encourage everyone to utilize during his or her time at BU, and that’s COM Career Services. COM Career Services is there to help you with getting a job, even before you graduate. They have an online database full of internships and jobs in Boston and around the country. You can even access the database once you graduate, which is extremely helpful if you find yourself in a bit of a rut a couple months down the road after graduation. They also have cover letter and resume critiquing, which I take advantage of often. Who knows what companies are looking for on resumes and cover letters more than the people in COM Career Services? They also have fun activities that can help with your professional appearance – one example being a LinkedIn headshot photo opportunity, where you could go in and get a professional picture done for your LinkedIn!
On top of that, internships are highly encouraged in COM. Some students are required to intern as part of their curriculum, while others just take advantage of the amazing companies in and around Boston. I’m on my fifth internship during my college career, and I can honestly say that internships teach you more than you’ll ever learn in a classroom. You’ll never know the full experience of what it’s like to work in a certain industry until you immerse yourself into it. Internships prepare you for the real world and being a “real person” as I like to refer to people with jobs and careers. In addition they are amazing resume builders, and they can only help you get a job and further your professional life. Sometimes internships that you’ve interned with will even offer you a job after you graduate and are usually more likely to hire you over someone who is not familiar with the company.
All in all, it almost makes me cringe hearing the word graduation, but I know that COM has prepared me really well for the future and how to obtain a job. Take advantage of everything COM has to offer; it can only help you and make you a better student and candidate for a job in the future, and that will make you worry a little less about the g-word.
