My Advice to Students

My advice to students

I wanted to share my thoughts on things I have learned over my brief period in the industry with those standing next to me. If you are a student, this one is for you! If you are an industry professional, please reflect on these key points. Do you share these words of wisdom with students, or other bits of knowledge? If not, I hope to change that.

Disclaimer...

My definition of a student is different from everyone else. I consider anyone wanting to learn more about a given subject a student no matter the setting. You could be in a classroom, or on the job. If you have more to learn ahead of you than what you already know, you are a student!

This list you will see is some of the many things I have learned in only a year of being in the industry. I have learned quite a bit from industry professionals, current students, and even from myself. These pieces of knowledge have helped me SOAR in my professional career thus far. With the full intention of keeping this industry going and get it back to THRIVING this must involve bringing up my peers. Without any more introductions, I give you a “short” list of my advice to students.

1. Prioritize goals for your career, training, and/or education.

By setting this goal as a priority not only is it putting the motivation on yourself to really say, “this is what I want”, you have also put your focus on a few things, rather than a million. Focus on accomplishing the goals that matter most will help with the stress of balancing an overfull plate. This also helps to make yourself the best possible person at these few things rather than good at a lot.

2. ALWAYS set a timeline for the goals you have set and prioritized.

Making a goal a priority by setting action is one thing, but if there is no end in sight how will you stay motivated to keep working towards that goal?

3. ATTEND PROFESSIONAL EVENTS

I cannot tell you how many times I attended a professional event whether it be a conference, or a field day and I was one of less than a dozen undergraduate students in attendance. Not every student gets to or choses to attend these professional events, but for those who do those are the ones who get more opportunities, and more connections made just in a few short hours. How will the industry know you if you are not there? How will you know the industry if you are not there?

4. TURF TWITTER

This is a new era of technology; communication has never been so easy. Our industry is incredibly unique in that we have Turf Twitter. A social media platform used by industry professionals and students to interact and communicate. If you are not on it, I highly recommend you get on it! The amount of people I have met and interacted with all from all over the country and world is insane! The best part of this network is that when you do meet these industry professionals and students, the conversation picks up exactly where it left off. If you, have it, I highly encourage you use this to advertise yourself (your education, training, career, etc.) to allow other industry members into your turf world. Keep up to date on posts and ORIGINATE posts. I know Turf Twitter can be overwhelming at first, but once comfortable, it is a phenomenal time.

5. Attend virtual lectures

MOST OF THESE ARE FREE. If there is no time conflict, no charge, and you can do this from wherever you choose why not? I understand that you might be tired of virtual meetings, but this is education brought to you and for you. Have some way of taking notes during the meeting, ask a question, speak up, turn on your camera, etc. Yes, I know, I know, “Kennedy I am NOT doing that!” Here me out, I have had experiences where people started to recognize me just by having my camera on or by speaking up, I was able to also have my name and story recognized. Another thing to this is that if you have a priority to work at a facility in a certain area, attend virtual meetings hosted by professional organizations in the area or meetings where credits are given to attendees of that area. Then you will not only get your name out there but, you will get your name out and in that group.

6. Reach out to people you look up to in the industry or to people that those people even remotely mentioned.

If you want so badly to be that person, talk to them. Introduce yourself, ask how they got where they are today and how they would best advise you get there. There is something amazing about having someone you want nothing more than to be like, however it is far greater to have developed and continued a professional relationship with that person. By reaching out to that person you can now go from an untouchable celebrity to a mentor (the greatest title one can have).

7. Introduce yourself, do not wait for another person to do it for you.

There is nothing wrong with the age-old tradition of a mentor introducing their mentee to their peer. However, I have a different approach to introductions that I have found to be far more effective. Introduce yourself. If you introduce yourself, you start the conversation and you get to control what is said by you and about you to the other person. You can also control keeping yourself in the conversation, no one wants to be the third wheel especially when you are the one trying to move up in the industry. Introducing yourself comes across as more confident and serious, people like to see that one in a million person. No one remembers the others; they only remember that one. Yes, scary, I am aware. I could not tell you how many times I had to give myself a pep talk before throwing myself in the fire, but it worked EVERY time. Because of the success I have had with my own introductions I hardly ever ask for an introduction. I even will tell fellow students what they need to know and encourage them to make that introduction for themselves (once again, it works every time).

8. You are never too young, do not wait no matter what someone might say

I HATE when people say that someone should wait to do or say this or that. If you want an internship at that course in two years reach out today. If you want to work at that company or in that lab, introduce yourself today! Introducing yourself today shows you are not only interested but you are also organized and driven. Worst case scenario, they do not respond, but they still know your name and that is one more piece of information they know about you than they did yesterday. Best case scenario, they start a conversation with you. That is a gamble where no one loses.

9. Do not stand in the background

You never know when it might be your last chance to meet that person or your last chance to attend that field day, that conference, or volunteer for that event. Make the most out of the time you have while you have it. Introduce yourself to those around you, ask them more about themselves and their journey through the industry. Yes, this is hard to do, but this will help you to interact with even more people, build more professional relationships, etc. You will get out of opportunities like what you put into them.

10. GET OUT OF YOUR COMFORT ZONE.

Growth will not happen from within your bubble. The industry is not going to enter your bubble. You must step out of yours. You will have to leave your hometown at least once in your life and you should try to live somewhere completely out of your comfort zone just temporally just to experience the outside. The world is large, and the industry is spread out. If you want to make a name for yourself, you must get used to stepping outside of that bubble so far that you do not even know where it is anymore.

11. NEVER SAY NO TO AN OPPORTUNITY

You never know what that opportunity will do for you in your career, education, training, etc. If you say no that opportunity might never come back again. If you say yes, you could gain so much more in that brief period than you could ever imagine.

In all honesty, I am still working on these myself!

Let me know what you think! Have you heard any of these before or passed any of these pieces of advice onto someone else?