Use Your College Work Experience to Create Your New Full-Time Job

When I was working on my undergraduate degree, one of my professors, Mr. Bill Milne, encouraged me to seek field work experience in part-time positions that could lead to something more permanent after graduation. Since I had several hours of required service hours I needed to fulfill, I must admit my first thought was to take any job that would fulfill my requirements, and look for a job elsewhere, after I graduated. I did not think anything close to the university was going to turn into a full time position, because I thought all the students that previously graduated from my field had already saturated the market.

Make Your Own Breaks
However, keeping my professor’s words in mind at the end of my junior year at Eastern Michigan University, I applied for a summer job that was only ten miles away from campus. It looked very interesting. The position was seeking a day camp supervisor for a small park. When I applied, I discovered that the position had a great deal of potential. Although it was a small township, it was growing. As it turned out, my boss expressed to me his desire to have me build up the program and to add any additional recreational programs I thought I could successfully promote. There really wasn’t much of a budget to work with, but I knew if I could get enough people to sign up, I could cover the costs of the instructors and supervisors I needed to hire.

Successful Program Leads to Job Offer
That spring and summer I was able to attract some top instructors, and ran many different programs that impressed my boss and the board of park commissioners. By the end of the summer, he pulled me into his office and asked me if I would consider starting as a full time director the following spring after I graduated. They couldn’t pay much, but it would be a great start for my career. Sure enough, after graduation, I started my full time position as the Recreation Director for Pittsfield Township, Michigan.

My point is, as a college student, it is never too early to start exploring part- time jobs that could lead to something bigger. When you do, your benefit just might be a full time job, custom made by you.

If you are interested in a better career in your field of study visit www.collegejobbank.com

Tom Borg is president of Tom Borg Consulting, LLC. He is a business consultant, speaker, coach and author. He helps companies and organization become more profitable by increasing their value and lowering their costs through the professional development of their managers and employees.