THERE are probably several things you expect to get out of your four years of education here at the University: some great memories, a few life-long friends, and the ability to discuss the symbolism in Dante's Inferno like nobody's business. There is one thing your parents expect to get out of your four years of education, aside from big tuition bills: the assurance that you, as a college graduate, will not have to move back in with them after you leave Charlottesville in 2006.
A liberal arts education is all fine and good until you realize that your knack for explicating Kant will not pay your rent. To get a boost in the increasingly competitive job market, you need to make yourself attractive to employers. And by "attractive," I don't mean it's time to break out the glitter lip gloss; I mean that you should have certain skills and qualities that will make you a valuable addition to a company or organization. The following are some suggestions on things to work on. Keep these in mind and you will avoid ever having a landlord you call "Mom."
Writing and communication skills. If you have ever looked for any kind of job, you doubtlessly saw one phrase come up again and again in employers' descriptions of the ideal employee: "must have excellent writing and communication skills." This goes for engineers as well as sociology majors. In any field of work, it doesn't matter how good your ideas are if you can't communicate them effectively to other people. In making presentations, writing reports and pitching ideas, you have to be able to present your thoughts clearly and logically to get your point across. You can improve your writing skills by taking a professional writing or academic writing ENWR course. If verbal communication is where you fall short, take part in a few Washington Literary and Debating Society meetings or enroll in a public speaking class.
Computer skills. You don't have to be an HTML wizard, but you need a firm grasp over the basics. Knowing how to use MS Word, Excel and Internet browsers is essential. Powerpoint and database programs like MS Access are helpful too.
Commerce school classes. Sure, most classes in the Commerce School are closed off to us College schlubs. There are a few classes, however, that are open to non-Comm kids. Courses like introduction to accounting, marketing and commerical law may not be your idea of fun, but they can give you very practical skills - ones you can use in the business world as well as in everyday life.
Skills developed through extracurricular activities. When potential employers are reviewing your resume, they will be happy to see that you graduated with a 3.9 GPA. They will be happier still if you ventured outside your room once in a while to participate in extracurricular activities. When it comes to developing skills that can be pertinent to your future career, the things you do outside the classroom can be just as important as what you do inside it. If you want to be a writer or editor, you can join any of a number of fine student publications to start building writing experience and a clips portfolio. If you want to run for office someday, hone your politico skills by getting a position on Student Council.
Being a nice person - or, in corporate lingo, a "team player." I once had a professor who told my class, "When it comes down to two qualified candidates, employers will take the person they'll actually stand to work with for eight hours a day." So in case you needed another reason to be socially competent and have a sense of humor, here's another one: Bitchy, humorless prima donnas don't get jobs. Companies want "team players." In most work situations, you don't work in isolation. You're surrounded by people: people you report to, collaborate with, depend on. If you don't get along with those people, it makes life - and work - that much harder. Learn to play well with others if you don't already.
Previous work experience. Right now, the space for "work experience" on your resume probably includes that summer job at Dunkin' Donuts, a few babysitting gigs and not much else. Change that. Summer internships are absolutely crucial to your chances of getting a job. Because an internship is a great way to get your foot in the door at a company, it can actually lead to paid employment later on. In general, the experiences, skills and contacts you get out of internships will help you out immensely in your job search. Start planning for summer internships relatively early, like February. Visit the career center or the internship database at monstertrak.com for leads.
(Laura Sahramaa is a Cavalier Daily opinion editor. She can be reached at lsahramaa@cavalierdaily.com.)
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