Career Advice

I was about 8 years old when I knew I wanted to pursue writing as a career. The chunky 2003 desktop computer sitting in my living room was the first thing I ran to after finishing my homework. And the more comfortable I got with the keyboard, the more I realized I wanted to go to school as long as I possibly could – college was a must. But every time I showed the slightest bit of excitement about getting a degree, my parents gave me a nervous smile.

Studies have shown that internships are one of the biggest indicators of whether or not a recent graduate will receive a full-time employment offer before graduation. In fact, many companies use internships as a pipeline for their next crop of entry-level recruits. However, not all internships are created equal, especially when it comes to pay. According to research from the National Association of Colleges and Employers, students that had a paid internship while in college were more likely to report higher levels of engagement in their early careers and to find a full-time job faster than students who had an unpaid internship. In short, paid internships tend to be correlated with more positive career outcomes, in addition to the short-term benefit of receiving a paycheck.

One of the most challenging parts of the job search is waiting for a response from a company after applying for a position. It’s one thing for candidates to submit applications into the void and never hear back – but what should you do if you are in the middle of the recruitment process and the recruiter you were corresponding with has gone silent?

According to the National Center for Education Statistics, business-related majors are the most popular field of study. Unlike more specialized majors like accounting, a business major generally encompasses a wide range of business topics such as management, marketing, finance, economics, and corporate social responsibility. Wondering how to apply all this knowledge to one occupation? Here are 10 options to explore that draw upon the various competencies unique to a general business major.

If you have declared a major in psychology, you’re in good company. Every year, more than 100,000 students in the U.S. earn a bachelor’s degree in this field. While many psychology majors enroll in a master’s, doctoral, or medical program in order to become licensed social workers, psychologists, or psychiatrists, there are plenty of jobs in a variety of fields that would also be an excellent fit for a new graduate. Here are 10 of our favorite suggestions.

Searching for that perfect first job after graduation can be a daunting task. This is especially true if you are a high-achieving student leader looking for a company that will provide opportunities for professional development, mentorship, and career advancement. While many new graduates assume that applying for an entry-level job is the way to check off all those boxes, that’s not the only option. In fact, participating in a “leadership development program” instead can fulfill all these criteria, as well as providing a “fast-track” to a leadership role within a specific company.

Burnout isn’t only for professionals who feel overworked. People who are on the job hunt can also find themselves experiencing burnout, especially if they’ve been at it for a long time. Students navigating the job search might find themselves tired of submitting applications, and as a result, end up mass applying to jobs they aren’t the right fit for or even submitting lackluster cover letters and application responses. Or worse, they might get so overwhelmed that they end up procrastinating for months and scrambling to apply when the time comes.

When thinking about career paths, some students know exactly what they want their job function to be, whether that’s sales, software engineering, or marketing. But the job function only tells part of the career story. What about the industry?

Although economics is typically categorized as a social science, it also draws a lot upon business coursework, opening the door for graduates of economics programs to work in a variety of business settings. Having an academic background in economics also equips you with critical workplace skills like conducting research, analyzing and synthesizing data, determining trends, and communicating about your findings. Below we’ve compiled some career ideas that would make an excellent fit for drawing upon the unique strengths of an economic major.