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Making Connections in College

Making Connections in College
7/7/2011
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Darci Miller

Once you hit college, you no longer have to build your resume to get into the school of your dreams but you do have to build your resume to get the career of your dreams. Trust me, the competition out there is tough and you’ll need any leg up than you can get. Luckily for you, college has a veritable goldmine of resources to help you.

First and foremost, take advantage of on-campus organizations related to your intended field. From clubs to fraternities, there will definitely be something for you to get involved with to make connections – both with professionals and with other students in your major. Older students can help you out with classes in future semesters and professionals can be great assets in securing internships.

Class assignments can be great opportunities to make connections as well. Last fall, my sport leadership professor assigned each student to interview a leader in the field they want to get into. As a U.S. Olympic Committee hopeful, I was able to interview Gary Hall, Sr., a former Olympic swimmer and current vice president of the U.S. Olympians Association. Not only was this insanely cool for me (I was so star struck!) but he wrote me a letter of recommendation that helped me get an interview with USA Swimming. And this all happened because of a homework assignment!

Professional organizations are significant assets as well. Many have chapters for college students to join and membership fees are fairly minimal. Joining one of these organizations gives you access to a vast network of connections. Though I’m not in one yet, I have a friend who’s a member of the Association of Women in Sports Media. She just graduated and credits the AWSM for helping her get a killer internship with MLB.com. (I think I need to join this, like, five minutes ago!) To find an organization that’s right for you, Google professional organizations for your major to start making connections. Happy hunting!

Darci Miller is a New Yorker studying journalism and sport administration at the University of Miami. When she’s not writing for the school newspaper, you can find her at the gym, either working or working out. She loves all ‘80s pop culture (the cheesier the better!), and glues herself to her TV when the Olympics are on. She dreams big, and believes the sky’s the limit!

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