Starting college can be one of the most exciting times of your life. It’s the first real taste of independence along with making new friends and hopefully gaining essential experience that will help you once you’ve finished your course.
Although it may seem far away (depending on the length of your course), it’s a good idea to think about the way in which your choices during college could potentially grant you certain opportunities once you have finished. There are many ways in which you can make your CV more attractive during this time that will help you when you decide to apply for your first role upon graduation.
- Keep up your Language Skills
If you have any language skills from your Leaving Cert, it’s a great idea to keep this up. Your course may have an elective to study a language and if not check out the language soc groups within the campus. Having a language skill after college is a major plus when applying to different roles & will also give you the opportunity to work abroad. If your college doesn’t have one, then this is the perfect opportunity to set up your own! Not only will you improve on new skills but it’s a great way to make friends.
- Do an Internship
If your course offers an internship, then this is an excellent opportunity to gain some real industry experience. Taking an internship will provide you with a brand-new set of skills and will also serve as an insight into your chosen career path. Not only will an internship give you a taste of what you may like it may also tell you what you don’t like. Either way, it’s an invaluable experience to have on your CV.
- Go on Erasmus
Although not every course has an opportunity for a semester on Erasmus, if yours does, take it! Going on Erasmus may be one of the best learning opportunities you will have over your college course. If you’ve never lived away from home, then this will be a whole new world of independence and self-learning as you discover a new country, city and culture. Living abroad for a year or a semester will allow you to develop your own personal skills that will really help when you move into the working force.
- Work Part-Time
Working part-time during college is one of the best ways to acquire new skills that will help you in any role you apply for. It will show your ability to work within a team or independently, develop customer service and time management skills. If it’s possible to get a role that’s in your field of study, then even better but working in any field will provide you will some great transferable skills.
- Extracurricular Activities
A brilliant way to learn new skills is by joining some college societies. Perhaps you play a sport, or you love music and dance or you’re studying Law and there are mooting competitions. Joining a team or society will be a fun way to immerse yourself in college life while also partaking in team activities. Joining a one of these groups that is in some way relevant to your course or field of study will be a talking point on your CV further down the line.
