In high school, one may have worked to afford nights out with friends at the movies, weekends at the mall, or even saving for college. As a student, working means saving for necessities and being more responsible with one’s funds. In order to pay for rent, bills, car maintenance, or simply tuition, one must obtain a part-time or full-time position to make ends meet.

Amidst working to pay for the odds and ends of being a college student, one must also think about their career, why they attend college and how student loans are going to be paid post-graduation. It is important to think about the future, not only the present. It is also essential to have experience, no matter the job or the age one may be, ethic is still being built. So is one’s resume.

Here at The University of Akron, there are several free resources available to help students build their resume. These resources range from one on one interaction with someone at the Career Center or simply plugging in information to CareerLink.com to help filter local job opportunities. It is strongly encouraged that students obtain an internship during their undergrad, which can count as credits towards your major.

As a student, one may also want to maintain reputable relationships with professors as one progress within classes. Professors are a great start to getting one’s feet wet with networking. They have many connections, are knowledge about their subject that might just be strongly related to your major, and are able to write students valuable recommendations.

Along with enhancing a written resume, students should consider their online resume as well. LinkedIn.com is a business-oriented social networking site. Unlike Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and other social networking sites, LinkedIn can be utilized for managing one’s professional identity. It is a site where you can build and engage with your professional network. This includes connecting with previous employers, colleagues, and professors. Many recruiters and employers are heavily using LinkedIn to filter potential candidates whether it be for co-ops, internships, or full-time employment. Utilizing LinkedIn is also a great way to survey your peers in college and see how else you can stand out amongst them.

In essence, one’s professional identity relates back to potential success post-graduation. Students want to have a job, build their network, utilize tools that will give them a competitive edge, and understand that in the end, experience is essential.