COMPETITIVE
EDGE
Organizations look for those with relevant
experiences that provide evidence of
their talents and abilities. Staying active
in college both on and off campus can
help you build skills that are essential to
personal and professional development
and success. There are many ways for you
to build skills and experiences in college in
order to gain a competitive edge.
ACADEMICS
Coursework, your content/industry knowledge, capstone projects, and continuing education
opportunities such as graduate school and certifications can help you stand out to employers. Different
industries focus on GPA more heavily than others, but overall, your GPA can showcase a wide variety of
skills and abilities in a quick and easy format:
Maintain a strong GPA throughout college and actively participate in class.
Meet with an Academic Advisor early and often to map out your field of study.
Meet with a Success Coach through the Office of Student Success early and often to best navigate campus
resources.
Network with fellow classmates and meet with faculty to help develop your career path. This can lead to
research opportunities, conferences, and developing a strong support group.
Consider the pros and cons of Graduate School and different certifications in your fields of interest.
EXTRACURRICULAR
There are so many ways to get involved on campus, in the community, and beyond. There are offices all
over campus that want to help you gain experiences through a variety of outlets.
Become a member of our Career Services team by becoming a “Career Ambassador.”
Get involved with the Mary Ellen Brandell Volunteer Center through Alternative Spring Breaks and other
various programs.
Meet with a Study Abroad advisor.
Join Registered Student Organizations (RSO’s) of interest through Orgsync and take on leadership roles.
Attend conferences such as through CMU’s Leadership Institute.
JOBS AND INTERNSHIPS
Gaining hands-on professional experiences is highly recommended, even if your degree doesn’t require
an internship or cooperative education (co-op) experience. Internships are designed to provide relevant
experiences and will allow you the opportunity to build relationships with professionals in your field of
interest. In addition, many employers use their internships as a first step in the recruitment process for
full-time positions.
Your work experiences can also be a great way to showcase transferable skills to employers, but it is
up to you to show the value of what you have done. Often, you will gain a variety of skills through the
different jobs you hold throughout college that can help you develop customer service, management,
organization, technical, and communication skills.
Gain multiple internship/co-op experiences in your areas of interest. Meet with the Internship Coordinator
or a faculty member in your department to inquire about academic credit for the experiences.
Secure jobs throughout college to gain transferable skills.
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