The Spectator The independent student newspaper of Valdosta State University
It is up to faculty, students to prepare graduates for work
College is the time that we are supposed to choose what career we potentially want to have for the rest of our lives. Forever. No pressure. Right.
According to an article on chronicle.com, a survey was conducted that dismissed all hope for students. The results from that survey said that employers believe that graduates are not ready for the work force. Students however, disagree.
After reading that article, a question arises. Are we really, truly ready for the workforce after college? The point of college is to figure out the career you want after graduating. However, all too often, college feels like a time crunch for deciding the rest of your life, instead of a training ground.
Professors are always harping that “this is what it is like in the ‘real’ world.” While this statement often pierces like nails on a chalkboard, it does have truth to it.
Professors are responsible for teaching students skills that help after graduation, skills that can be put toward said career path. Some professors excel at this, others crash and burn.
While it is the professor’s responsibility to teach, it is the student’s responsibility to apply that knowledge.
Once the professors have done their part, how do students prepare for the work force that awaits? Simple—apply for internships, take a part-time job, partake in extracurricular activities, the list goes on. Ask your professors for help. There are professors that do everything possible to help students excel in and out of the classroom. Career Opportunities is another option for students toutilize. The resources for students are plentiful; the only thing that is often missing is the drive to utilize those sources.
Opportunity is out there for students, that is a fact. Students need to learn to grasp that opportunity. Sometimes, like the adage, opportunity will knock and sometimes you have to go after that opportunity. Whatever the case, we as students need to learn how to utilize that opportunity when it presents itself.
The article’s key point for those of us interested in solving the problem is higher education’s slow response to technological advancements and employers’ neither hiring nor training new graduates have contributed to a disconnect.
Great article and wonderful student feedback. As an adviser I am often surprised by how many students only start to think about jobs and resumes as they are getting ready to graduate. I think you should keep encouraging students to build their resumes now. It would be fantastic to do a list of all the clubs and organizations and what days and times they meet once a semester in the spectator so students could know what is available.