April is only 2 weeks away, and that means it’s almost our favorite time of the year! April is Career Month here at the Career Center. Throughout April, the Career Center will be hosting a different event or workshop every single day of the month (excluding weekends)!

The purpose of Career Month is to explore what options are available to students in the professional world, while also expanding students’ perspectives by introducing them to environments or customs that they’re not used to. To learn more about what Career month is, click here.

I remember graduating from high school and thinking that coming to college meant I was stepping out into the real world. I still think that’s true, but only to an extent. From my work experience, I can say that I don’t think that college is anything like the real world. While it has provided me the technical knowledge to thrive, the reality of practicing a career requires you to go above and beyond what you learn in the classroom. This means actively trying to develop your professionalism, and that’s what Career Month is for!

Career Month isn’t just a month filled with workshops. The Career Center is also hosting a clothing closet, a full-on dining etiquette dinner, information sessions, and bringing employers on campus, among many other events!

One of my favorite events we’re hosting this year is an interactive panel discussion on the topic of being LGBTQ in the workplace (April 6, from 12-1). As a student, I sometimes think that we have to separate our personal lives from our professional lives, in the sense that anything that’s not remotely related to work shouldn’t be translated into our careers. Discussions like these have broadened my perspective, and have allowed me to understand that we should embrace what makes us diverse, in all aspects of life.

Career Month is comprised of three different types of events; networking, career exploration, and professional skill building. If you attend at least one of each type of event, you can earn Career Month Road Swag! Here’s a complete list of all of the events we are offering during the month.

There’s a wide variety of resources available to you during Career Month, especially. I strongly suggest that you take advantage of as many of them as you possibly can! Now is the time of year when applications for summer internships and positions are fast approaching. Attending these events can teach you how to market yourself and your experiences in the best way possible.