AgCareers CAN

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by Kristi Sproul, Education & Marketing Specialist
WHEN I SET OFF FOR SCHOOL the
best advice my sisters gave me was, “You
don’t have to make all the mistakes on
your own, you can learn from others’
mistakes as well.” While my university
years weren’t fault-free, at the time I felt
like I had really checked all the boxes for
collegiate success: summer work
experiences, honor roll, scholarship
recipient, and a job secured before
graduation. However, as the expression
goes “hindsight is 20/20,” meaning that
when we look back we see what we
could not see when we were in the past.
There will likely be no other time in
your life that you have the freedom to
explore outside of your comfort zone like
you do while in school. With that in mind,
here’s what I wish I would’ve known;
consider this your opportunity to learn
from others!
TAKE THE SUMMER WORK
EXPERIENCE 1,000 MILES AWAY.
It may seem scary and hard to imagine
being so far away from what you’re
familiar with, but what a cool
opportunity! You get to experience
another part of the country, likely on your
employer’s dime, and it’s only temporary.
We tend to grow the most when we are
25 Ag & Food CAreer guide
put in unfamiliar situations. I waited until
graduate school to take the job far away
and realized then I should have done it a
lot sooner!
GO TO THE CAREER FAIR, EVEN AS A
FRESHMAN.
Few organizations offer summer work
experiences to freshmen, so you may
wonder if it’s even worth your time to
attend the career fair. I promise you, it
is. Approach the companies that interest
you and ask them what type of things
you can be doing as an underclassman
to prepare yourself to be a competitive
applicant when the time comes. Start
building these relationships early and
you’ll be remembered.
DRESS FOR CLASS LIKE YOU MAY
MEET YOUR FUTURE BOSS.
You never know when a guest speaker
will show up and be the contact you
need to open doors for your future. Now,
if you approach that speaker in your
pajama pants and “beer pong champion”
t-shirt you’re not going to be taken very
seriously. I am not saying you must be
in business casual attire every day, but
at the least take a shower and put on an
outfit that doesn’t double as gym wear.
BLOW OFF SUMMERS ARE NICE, BUT
WORK EXPERIENCES ARE BETTER.
You’ve worked hard, and spending a
summer at the pool seems well deserved.
The problem is, that time off is difficult to
spin for a resume. The experiences you’ll
have with a summer work experience will
be rewarding and will give you insight
into your future career.
YOUR PEERS WILL EVENTUALLY BE
YOUR COLLEAGUES.
There will be people in university that
you don’t click with and that’s okay.
Remember, however, that agriculture is a
small world. The likelihood of you having
to interact with the people you went to
school with in the professional world is
very high. Treat everyone with respect
knowing that you may need their
cooperation for a work-win in a few years.
Ask anyone who’s been in the working
world for a while what they wish they
would have known while in university
and you’ll likely get a different answer
from each. So, ask the question! Learn
from others’ experiences to help make
your journey successful. AG
20/20HINDSIGHT IS