Beware Boys and Girls...School Is Approaching!

I'd hate to start a panic of any sort, but let it be known that classes start in roughly 6 weeks! If you're like me and graduating in less than 6 months or even looking at something closer to a 6 year kind of plan, how you prepare for going back to school will set the tone for the beginning of your semester. Now I know that many of you may be saying "What the heck. I just got out of school. I have to start like thinking about student groups and jobs and how I'm going to make the most out of my time at school?" Yes. Sorry to burst your bubble, but you should probably start thinking about all of these things. Don't worry, there's still plenty of warm weather and lazy afternoons left before the hustle and bustle of school.

The first order of business with preparing for the upcoming school year is to figure out the logistics of all your academics. Are you signed up for the classes you need to be? Do you need to schedule an appointment with your adviser to talk about your future? Make sure that these details are figured out before you set a toe on campus so that when you actually get there you'll have one less thing to worry about.

The second order of business is figuring out what you need to do this year to make your experience better. I don't necessarily mean that you need to start looking into social etiquette classes or clocking more hours at the gym, I'm talking looking at the weaknesses on your resume and figuring out what you can do to make them strengths. For example, if you have absolutely nothing to do with ANY student groups on campus, you need to start thinking about joining one if you can make the time for it. Student groups are a great way to meet people with similar interests to you, get leadership experience, and get exposed to different areas of campus. Michigan State has literally hundreds of student groups on campus ranging in interest groups from sports to arts. If you are really interested in something and there isn't a club on campus that meets your interests, you can ever start your own club! Here are a few websites that may help you figure out what student organization is good for you:

http://www.studentlife.msu.edu/

http://www.studentlife.msu.edu/current_students/rso/orgs.htm

http://www.egr.msu.edu/student-groups

Attending events like Sparticiation will help you figure out what groups may be good for you as well. One tip I have for any underclassmen is to attend several events for a variety of student groups you may be interested in with the intention of keeping only one or two memberships long term. If you tend to keep yourself inside your comfort zone or feel a little shy, getting involved with student groups is going to be a good way for you to reach outside your comfort zone and meet new people. Everyone has been the "new kid" before. Rolling with the initial awkwardness is well worth it when the end result is making friends, learning something new, and enjoying yourself. Plus you can put your student organization memberships on your resume!

The third and final order of business for preparing for school is getting ready to take your career search to a new level! Some things that should definitely be on your "To Do" list for this fall include:

• Get your resume critiqued at the Center for Spartan Engineering.
• Speak with your academic adviser and career adviser about your future.
• Sign up for a mock interview.
• Register on MySpartanCareer (http://www.myspartancareer.msu.edu) with your updated resume.
• Sign up to attend the Career Gallery Job Fair at the Breslin Center and make sure to attend the Pre-Gallery Cram Session in October.
• Stay tuned to this blog for tips on resume development, interviewing skills, and much more!

That's all for now! If you have any questions about getting ready for this fall or can think of something I've missed, shoot me an e-mail at SpartanJobSeeker@gmail.com.

Like always,

Good Luck Job Seekers!