As you are discovering who you are, and learning about where you are going, you can also be testing out your areas of interests in highly experiential ways. Your college degree is important, what you learn in college is even more important and it is very difficult to land your first job after college without relevant experience — internships, leadership roles, volunteering, involvement on campus, class projects, research experience — the good news is UT provides many ways to support your experiential learning!
Informational Interviews
This is where the magic can happen and is one of THE best and most common ways to build a connection, learn about careers of interest and help you figure out the best career options for yourself. Identify people in roles that are interesting to you and request a 30-minute conversation where you ask questions that help you gather information, narrow down career options and build solid connections.
View the informational interview (PDF) for everything you need to do an informational interview. Feel free to use 15-minute drop-ins in Career Services and meet with a career coach if you want help getting started on this process.
Internships
Start looking for internship opportunities as a freshman. Some companies aren’t ready for freshmen, but you can at least reach out and start to build relationships with companies in which you are interested. If you are not a freshman, start looking for internships now. Internships help you figure out what you like, don’t like, as well as give you professional experience and great connections.
Volunteering, Leadership and Involvement on Campus
Many students begin to build relevant career-related experience by getting involved in opportunities outside of classes. You can also meet other students with similar interests and build connections. Students who are involved on campus tend to do better academically too.
Create Your Resume
You can start creating your résumé your freshman year. Use 15-minute drop-ins in Career Services to get started, or check out the resume writing guide (PDF).
Attend Employer Events on Campus
Last year Career Services hosted nearly 500 recruitment visits to campus – that means companies were here all year long that want to connect with YOU! Take this opportunity to meet the people who want to meet you, and learn what they are looking for in future interns and employees. You never know where these conversations can lead. Log in to Handshake, and click on the events tab to see a list of all the employer-student events.
For more information on taking next steps for internship or job opportunities, visit the Finding Experience page.