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by Megan Gebhart

For some reason words like alumni, career day, and networking scare students. Emails and posters that include these words can only lead to events that happen in stuffy rooms filled with people in uncomfortable attire making awkward small talk about the “real world”. Who wants to spend their precious free time suffering through such agony?

I hate to be the bearer of bad news, but you do. If you’ve got big career goals, these networking events are a must. They are a great opportunity to hear powerful insight from alumni, practice communication skills, and potentially find an internship or job. Now for the good news; these events aren’t as bad as you’ve imagined. Alumni are normal people! And the fact that they’ve given up their free time to meet with students shows they are willing (and eager!) to take time to help students. Yes, they want to help you!

You’re probably skeptical. I understand. I recently went to the James Madison College Career Day and I was skeptical too, but guess what? I had a great time! Seriously. The alumni were down to earth and surprisingly helpful. As I walked to my car when the event was over, I realized I was glad (yes, actually glad) that I had sacrificed my free Saturday afternoon to wear uncomfortable heels and make nervous small talk with old Spartans. I wasn’t the only student that felt this way and for the next few weeks we will be sharing the stories from these students in a series about the James Madison College Career Day. This is the first post.

First, a little background info.

The James Madison College and the James Madison Alumni Association held the 7^th annual Alumni Career Day at James Madison College on Saturday, February 6^th. The event was a forum for current students to explore different career paths and to make connections with alumni. During the panel discussions, alumni briefly introduced themselves, provided a basic description of their career and touched upon how MSU prepared them for what they do. Students were encouraged to ask questions and network with alumni both during and after the panels.

While the future Career Day posts will cover more specific aspects of the day, I’m keeping my insight broad and listing the-

Top 10 things I learned at the JMC Career Day:

1. You need a little “fire in the belly”: A good career isn’t the result of going to the best University, earning a specific degree, or having a high GPA. Those things are important, but having passion for what you do and going the extra mile are the true keys to success. If you want to succeed, you need enthusiasm and drive to make it happen.
2. Employers can teach skills, they can’t teach you how to think: The world is changing fast and while knowledge is important, knowing how to learn is vital. Don’t worry if you don’t feel prepared. If you keep asking questions, you can learn quickly and survive.
3. Life is unpredictable, but you can still be prepared: You can map out every step of your career path starting with graduation and ending with retirement, but be prepared—your career path will have a mind of its own. You can’t predict the unpredictable, but if you have the right attitude, work hard, look for opportunities, and continue to build strong relationships you can be prepared for whatever life throws your way.
4. It’s okay if you don’t know what you want to do: Many of the alumni ended up in jobs they didn’t expect to have, but they jumped on opportunities that led them to careers they love. You might not know want you want to do until you get out into the workforce and explore what you like and dislike. Keep searching and you’ll eventually find the right fit.
5. Communication skills are vital: The panelist frequently mentioned their job or promotion came from being a good communicator. From being able to talk to people and build relationships to articulately getting your message across in writing, communications skills are a must—search for opportunities to practice these skills. 
6. Leverage the skills from your college: James Madison prepares students to be excellent critical thinkers, researchers, and communicators—these skills are very marketable to recruiters. Each college is unique, find out what skill set you’ve acquired from your college and use that information in interviews.
7. Alumni love talking to students: There’s nothing a Spartan loves more than helping a fellow Spartan. With 420,800 living alumni worldwide, the Spartan network is a powerful resource—don’t be afraid to reach out to those alumni for help or advice!  If an alumnus knows you’re an MSU student, they want to talk to you.
8. Networking is about building relationships, not collecting business cards. Networking is not a dirty word. The act of reaching out to strangers can be awkward, but it’s a vital skill, and the sooner you learn it, the better off you’ll be! Networking is just another word for building relationships or making friends. Relax, be yourself, and find a common interest to talk about. Most people love talking about themselves (although they might not admit it) so be interested and ask questions.
9. Make the most of every opportunity: Your time at Michigan State is limited so take advantage of every opportunity you can. Whether it is an opportunity to network with successful alumni, take a specific class, get involved in a certain organization, or just have a great time cheering on the Spartans, cherish your experience as a student.
10. Don’t despair, you will find a job: This is not the first time graduating students have faced hard economic times. Many of the panelists (both young and old) couldn’t find a job for six or seven months after graduation, but they were persistent and an opportunity eventually emerged.  There is no shame in not getting a job right out of college, find an internship that provides great experience or a volunteer opportunity to keep you busy.

What do you think? Leave a comment below!