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Internship/No Internship
While internships are available
for all students in college regardless of grade level, our research showed that mostly seniors were the only students who
took advantage of the opportunity. The lack of participation in an internship shows that either students are not aware or
not willing to partake in an internship. Internships can be extremely valuable to a student as it exposes them to a chosen
career field and can be a stepping stone to future employment along with being a valued addition to a resume.
Identified Network
While sixty-six percent
of students have identified their network that number is disappointingly low because every student has a network, they just
have not been exposed to what a network is or taken the time to sit down and think it through. For example student athletes,
students involved in Greek life and other organizations all have people within their network that could lead to business contacts
that they are simply unaware of.
Extra Curricular Activities
Just over half of the students surveyed participated in extra curricular activities whether it was sports, Greek life, or
other student organizations. We feel that it is necessary to participate in extra curricular activities because it not only
helps you gain contacts and expand your network, it also gives relief from the stress of schoolwork and makes you a more well
rounded person and enables you to fulfill your college experience.
Employment Status
For some, the collegiate workload leaves little time to do anything else. Our research indicated that only fourteen percent
of the students were unemployed while the rest held either a full-time or part-time job. For most students the financial burden
of having to pay for college forces them into working. It also gives them the experience they may need for a future career
after graduation.
Resume
Resumes are important as they put into words why you are fit and qualified for a job. While there are many different types
and ways to write a resume, they are all consistent in the sense that everyone should have one if they plan on entering the
business world. While seventy-seven percent of the students have resumes, it is never too early to begin to develop one. Freshman
may feel it is unnecessary to have one because they may not be applying for a job in their career field at a young age, but
should still begin to develop a resume and build upon it throughout college. It may also motivate people who do not have much
on their resume to join organizations or volunteer or engage in any activity that can add “meat” to their resume.
Identified Career Goals
When we were younger we all had aspirations to be firefighters and astronauts and professional athletes. As life goes on and
reality sets in, we realize those childhood dreams are not always attainable, but we can begin to identify and develop
realistic career goals early in college. It is important to identify your career goals because it sets forth a path and motivates
students to take the necessary steps to achieve their career goals.
Raptor Net
Another tool that can be found from the Career Center website is Raptor Net. Raptor Net Provides job networking for students
in all areas of study and career fields. Much like the percentage of students who have visited the Career Center, we
would like a much larger amount of students to be aware of Raptor Net and not only have the knowledge but have made use of
what it has to offer.
Attended a Job Fair
While only fifty-eight students said they have attended a job fair, we feel it is necessary for all students, regardless of
grade, to have the experience of attending a job fair. For juniors and seniors it takes a more serious tone as there are strong
possibilities for future employment while for freshman and sophomores they can get acclimated to the process and how to effectively
navigate a Job Fair so that when the time comes they are prepared to be successful.
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Business Attire
Our research indicated that ninety-two percent of students
who participated in our survey were equipped with proper business attire. Business attire is essential when it comes to interviews
and portraying a positive image for employers.
Identified Network Numbers
This graph simply illustrates the range of people
in each student’s network. Although it is not shown, the majority of the student s who had a network of thirty-one people
or more were seniors. This could simply be a result of being older and meeting more people and gaining more contacts throughout
their college career.
Volunteer
Volunteering is a large part of being socially
responsible and giving back to the community. Fortunately, a large amount of the students who took the survey have participated
in volunteer activities. This shows that students at Rutgers Camden are committed to giving back to the community. Much like
internships, volunteer activities are another strong addition to a resume as employers look to see candidates who have gone
the extra mile to make a difference.
Graduate School
A testament to students striving for a continued education beyond graduation here at Rutgers Camden, just about half of the
students said they would attend graduate school. While graduate school is not for everyone, these students are showing the
willingness to further their education to become very attractive to employers when the job search begins.
Resume Critiqued
Much like a student would proofread a paper before handing it in to be graded, you should always have your resume critiqued.
It can be a professional opinion much like the ones available at the Career Center at Rutgers Camden, or it could be from
someone in a related field that you are applying to who may be able to highlight certain areas employers are looking for and
fix the scope of the resume.
Visited Career Center
Rutgers Camden provides a career center that offers students all the tools necessary to be successful in their career search.
Such programs as mock interviews, resume critiques, etiquette classes are just a few of the ways students can prepare for
their job search. While sixty-five percent of the students have indeed visited the career center, we would like to see that
number much closer to one hundred percent. Regardless of whether you are a freshman or a senior, the career center provides
useful information for all grade levels that need to be taken advantage of.
Student Interview Skills
We were happy to see that eighty-three percent of students felt they had adequate interviewing skills but we also felt that
this question was based more on personal opinion rather than proof. There is a difference between feeling that you have adequate
skills and actually have put them to the test through interviewing seminars or workshops, or an actual job interview itself.
There are certain do’s and dont’s that employers look for and it is important that students are aware of them.
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