As we are entering college, we have this naivety of how our college life is going to be. We paint this fascinating picture with all the glitz and glamour, which could not be more distorted from reality. This can be a daunting experience for many. And with advice and tips pouring from everyone and everywhere, it is very easy to get entangled in the entire process and get lost.
So here are five truths about college that no one will tell you, at least not until it’s too late!
1) The OG Scam
Since day one of joining college, we all are in a frenzy to hoard as many certificates,(and now online courses), as possible. They sort of us give us some validation of certainty in this not so certain world. However, the sad truth is that hiring companies practice the art of not giving a damn about it, and not so subtly. Simply because of the ease of access to such online courses and certificates.
If you don't want to be a soldier in the army of robots that colleges produce every year, try and take up some projects where you can convert those ink-written skills to metric-driven and measurable results. For Example: Have a certificate on X skill which you applied to increase the ROI of company Y by Z %
2) Wish You Were Here, Placement Cell
The placement cell of your college will send you great unpaid internship offers, but only when you have started looking for well-paid jobs.
9/10 times, the placement cells in colleges are non-existent. You will keep wishing and hoping for their existence, only for them to pop up when no one’s looking.
Please do not rely on the college to get you any internships. Reach out to your external network and websites like Internshala.com, Naukri.com, Monster.com, and LinkedIn for some serious opportunities.
3) The Dark Side of Internships
A lot of companies take advantage of our desperate need and search for internships. They hire students, with no pay, using a meaningless certificate as their bait. Internships involving nonsensical work such as social media promotions or data copy-pasting are useless because just having a stamp of an internship on your resume is not enough.
The hiring companies value the kind of work you did there, the kind of value-addition you provided, which becomes very evident in your interview.
Please don’t, “Fake it till you make It”, there. They are on the other side of the table for a reason.
4) Shine On, You Crazy Diamonds
Fun Fact: College is the last safe space you'll ever be in!
This is the last place where people are a little less judgemental and a little more accepting of you and your work. So, utilize and leverage this time to start something of your own. It can be anything, from a blog to a start-up. But it has to be you and yours.
The world values those who tend to stray from " The Path". Start this dream project you’ve been thinking about, take those risks and even if you fail, you will have succeeded just because of the experiences and the lessons. So go ahead and shine on, you crazy diamond 😊
If all you lack is some motivation, check out my favorite entrepreneurs Gary Vaynerchuk and Ankur Warikoo to get started !!
5)Your CGPA Matters More Than You Think!
There is this preconceived notion among a lot of people that academics in the last thing to think about in college and If you are looking to be in a non-creative field after your college, nothing could be farther from the truth.
In fact, in college, your grades matter more than they ever did before! It is the first criteria that hiring companies and postgraduate universities look at.
Your CGPA is ‘THE TICKET’ to board the train of your dreams!
I hope my five truths will help you navigate through your college life, a little better :)
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