Now that fall semester has officially started, it’s time to begin thinking about building up your resume with great experience! Oftentimes when you think of the word “experience,” internships and full-time jobs are the first opportunities that come to mind; from an employer standpoint, however, experience can actually take on many different forms. On a resume, major and GPA are only two small components, but what employers often look for is what you are doing outside of the classroom. While this may be a full-time job or internship, there are also many other ways for you to gain experience to put on your resume, starting with opportunities right here on UGA’s campus. A few of those are outlined below to help you get started with planning a productive, resume-worthy semester! Good luck!
Intern for a Day: This is the Career Center’s job shadowing program. Accepted students are paired with a company of interest and spend one to five days shadowing a professional. This is an easy way to observe the day-to-day aspects of a job or career field. The program runs in the fall and spring semesters and is open to all students. For more information and to apply, visit the Career Center's Intern for a Day web page.
Study Abroad: Connect with the Office of International Education to learn more about study abroad opportunities that relate to your major and career interests. Programs vary in length, but all provide unique experiences that help set you apart from your peers. Click here for more information.
Center for Student Organizations (CSO): Consider joining and becoming actively involved in one or two student organizations that relate to your areas of interest. Employers often look for leadership experience on resumes, and campus organizations provide many opportunities to step up as a leader. Click here for more information.
Office of Service Learning (OSL): Get involved with projects through OSL that connect academic courses with engagement initiatives. This is a great way to serve the local, state, national, and international communities. Click here for more information.
Center for Undergraduate Research Opportunities (CURO): Through CURO students can conduct self-selected research projects in a wide variety of disciplines. During this experience, you can work alongside faculty mentors to actively engage in learning and gain a more in-depth understanding of major and career areas. Conducting research is also great preparation for graduate studies as well as post-graduate careers. Click here for more information.
Capstone Course, Class Project, and Thesis: Capstone courses bring together major aspects of an academic discipline and allow students to go more in-depth with learning. You often have the chance to complete class projects or write a thesis in these courses. Through such experiences, you develop research and writing skills that can then be promoted to employers on a resume.
Handshake: This is the Career Center’s online job and internship board. Login to find part-time and full-time jobs as well as internships that are for UGA students and alumni only. To apply for positions, visit the Career Center website and login to Handshake with your UGA MyID and password.