Your break is almost over and a new semester awaits! Here’s how you can prepare to maximize your time and efficiency:

Get organized – Those who fail to plan, plan to fail. No matter your current college standing, the best course of action is to develop and implement a plan for the goals you wish to achieve for the coming semester.

• Develop short-term and long term goals and then strategize specific steps to help you achieve them.
• Your plan does not have to be perfect but it requires action. You will make improvements on the plan as you execute the specific decisions to meet your goals.
• For example, work on your resume, personal pitch, and interviewing skills for the upcoming career fairs and On-campus Recruiting (OCR) sessions through workshops and appointments at the Starr Career Development Center.

Find a Mentor – Mentors are an excellent source of information to help guide you on your career path during and after college.

• They provide practical and detailed knowledge on the skills you need to develop to be a well-rounded candidate in the field and industry you want to work in.
• Mentors open up new and interesting opportunities that are unknown to many college students due to lack of experience in the specialized job market.
• For example, take part in Baruch’s Executives on Campus program, schedule informational interviews, and work to build and develop your network through such services as LinkedIn.

Schedule academic course load – It is important to be balanced in your approach to scheduling classes for the semester.

• You want to devote enough time for academics but still have some free time to explore opportunities for growth outside of the classroom, whether it be an internship, research, or job.
• Employers are increasingly looking for candidates that have real world experience in addition to students doing well in their classes.
• For example, check out Starr Search and the Starr Career Development Center newsletter through your baruchmail for updated postings.

Community service – Make an impact on those in need

• Even though academics are your primary concern during the school year, it is a good idea to expand on your interests by volunteering your time to worthwhile causes in your community.
• Your dedication to serving others can help add fulfillment to your life past your academic and professional obligations.

For example, search volunteer postings at VolunteerMatch to help those in need.