Life on campus is really a juggle, you are finally in school as an adult and you realize you have to balance being an adult and being a student, and if you have to work, how to be a working student. Sounds a lot already. However, you also need to have a vision of how you would like your life to be after campus, that is in terms of your career, the course you study does not necessarily limit you to that career.

How to prepare for a career you have a passion for while still finishing your current course

Most students on campus might choose a course and realize after, that’s not what they envision themselves doing for the rest of their lives. This is normal since most students have only been exposed to what they were taught and hardly opportunities that expanded their thoughts. This highly affects how they choose their courses, most just go through a long list of names and choose a course without having an idea of what it is about.

Some of the ways you can prepare for a career you have a passion in:

• Attend events, social media has really made it easy for us to find events through platforms like meetup, Eventbrite e.t.c. This is the best way to interact with professionals in a certain field and learn what it takes to be in the field, what mistakes to avoid e.t.c

• Participate in communities in your field of interest. This is the best way to get your name known even while you are still a student. It’s also the best way to know what other students who are in that field are doing. If such a community does not exist yet, you can create one.

• Acquire certifications. A lot of online platforms offer free certifications to different fields. This is a great opportunity for any individual to master any skill in their field of interest as well as acquire a certificate that helps prove to future employers their interest in the field.

• Have proof of work. Volunteer in the fields you want to be a part of. This does not have to be the exact job you wish to have but being in that area of work will help you have insight into that field. Execute the volunteer jobs diligently, the bosses can recommend you for a better position or it can also help you decide if you really want to be in that field. Also, it will help you learn about office politics. Projects are also a great way to prove your interest in the field. Talk to lecturers or research online on projects that you can develop in your field of work, learn how to do them, and publish them online. This is a great way to market and brand your skill.

• Join LinkedIn and participate in CV writing and interview workshops. As you gain skills for your career it's important to know how to present yourself professionally. Being interviewed is a skill that is gained in the process of being interviewed. To get to the interview stage, it’s important that your cover letter and CV are well written. To know how to write them you have to attend the workshops to learn and gain these skills especially since they are not taught in school.

• Find an opportunity that is needed by your fellow students and provide a solution for it. This can help build a business that can sustain you in school as well as teach you values like time management, public relations, marketing, networking, business management e.t.c It can also provide internship opportunities for those who are partaking in business courses on campus which can help give a life long value back to the society apart from the products or service you will offer.

• Network with your schoolmates. Don’t limit your social circles to just those you study a course with, network beyond that, not only in social settings but also in professional settings. This will help you have a network of people who can mention your name in rooms you are not present in and vice versa. One way of solidifying such a connection is by participating in events or supporting businesses that your schoolmates partake in.

• Lastly, participate in school politics. If you are interested in political leadership run for office. Whether you are successful or not participating in such opportunities will prepare you for leadership and it also shows the world that you are courageous.

The academic certificate you acquire at the end of your studies is not all you can gain there are more benefits and opportunities to being a student. It gives you an opportunity to try until you are successful make use of it and have fun while doing it.