APU Careers & Learning Online Learning Original

How College Graduates Can Develop Work Skills and Experience

By Dr. Jarrod Sadulski
Faculty Member, Criminal Justice

This time of year marks graduation time for many college students. One of the most important things that you can do prior to graduation is to develop soft skills to complement your education. These skills can be useful in helping you to reach your career goals.

For example, strong communication skills are important in nearly every career. Strong communication skills enable you to communicate in a clear, persuasive way. Communication skills can also assist you in resolving conflicts by listening to others and using emotional intelligence to find a compromise.

Related link: Mastering the Art and Technology of Virtual Communication

From my experience, I have found it helpful to read books by people who are known to be excellent communicators. I’ve learned from these authors about the importance of voice inflection and about ensuring that your vocal tone is properly communicated to other listeners.

Strong problem-solving and critical thinking skills are also useful skills for recent college graduates. These skills will help you to remain calm in stressful situations, enable you to think through problems and find valuable solutions, and analyze any available information to make the best possible decision. These skills have helped me in both job interviews and my career.

Developing Practical Work Experience to Put on a Resume

If you go to college right out of high school, you may not have a lot of work experience to put on your resume. However, there are other ways to build your work experience.

One strategy that you can use is to participate in an internship. Internships are a great way to gain work experience while you’re still in college or if you’re a recent college graduate.

Internships may lead to having a foot in the door of a new employer through building relationships with supervisors and coworkers. Even if you eventually seek work with a different employer, you can ask these supervisors and coworkers to become your professional references.

Volunteering is also another good option for college graduates to develop work experience. While you may not receive compensation for your work, the work experience and networking relationships you develop may be helpful when it is time for you to enter the workforce.

Using LinkedIn to Create a Professional Network

When you’re seeking employment, having a professional network within your industry is useful. Social media platforms, such as LinkedIn, make it easier to develop these connections in your industry or chosen career field.

Once those professional connections are made, be sure to share relevant content such as industry-related articles to your network to show your interest in a specific career field. Networking connections can include current students, college graduates like yourself, professors and mentors.

Creating a Good Resume

As a new graduate, you should develop a well-written resume. Resume templates are a good starting point, and our Career Services department also offers resume reviews and other useful services to our current students and alumni.

Once a resume is written, it is best to have a trusted mentor review it to ensure that the resume properly captures your background, professional experience and education. If necessary, internships and volunteer work can be listed under your work experience. Scholarly awards or other relevant information should also be added to your resume.

Many organizations use applicant tracking systems to filter the pool of applicants for a job. It’s a good idea to tailor your resume to the job’s requirements and become familiar with how applicant tracking systems work.

Related link: Avoiding the Pitfalls of Applicant Tracking System Software

Your Planning and Preparation Will Be Apparent During an Interview

Preparation and planning are essential for new college graduates or anyone else seeking employment. Once you get to the interview stage of the hiring process, that preparation and planning will be evident.

Before your interview, be sure to learn everything you can about a prospective employer from the company’s website, social media sites, press releases and anywhere else you can find information. Prospective employers appreciate it when you take the trouble to learn about an organization and show that interest during the interview.

Dr. Jarrod Sadulski is an associate criminal justice professor in the School of Security and Global Studies and has over two decades in the field of criminal justice. Jarrod provides police training both domestically and internationally on relevant law enforcement topics such as human trafficking and police stress management. Jarrod can be reached through his website at www.Sadulski.com for more information.

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