Peer Career Consultant Blogs

Why starting early matters:

I remember when I first came to SCU, and I felt immediate pressure to have everything figured out. As an undeclared major in Leavery, I had no clue how to choose between Finance, MIS, Marketing, and Accounting. Many students think they need to immediately know their major or career path, but the reality is that most students only discover what they want to do by experimenting. Starting early is not about having everything planned, but rather it is about giving yourself time to explore, try things, and learn what you like and dislike. 

​My recommendations on HOW to start early:

1. Set up coffee chats. 

Whether you come into SCU with connections or not, it is extremely important to create connections you can learn from. Cold messaging professionals or Santa Clara Alumni who work in a field you are interested in is a manageable way to build your network early and gain valuable insight. As an underclassman, professionals are surprisingly willing to offer their time to coffee chat you and share what their jobs entail. To avoid wasting the professional’s time and maximizing your takeaways, it is essential to have a goal behind why you are reaching out and what you want to learn. Scheduling meetings and coming prepared with questions and research about the person can lead to insightful conversations or even a connection you can leverage at a future point in your career. During my freshman year, I scheduled coffee chats with professionals working in Product Marketing, Venture Capital, etc., and hearing their experiences 1-on-1 was more insightful than any research I could’ve done online. One professional I kept in contact with even gave me a referral, which highlights how much this type of outreach can assist you in the future.

2. Apply, Apply, Apply. 

One of the most helpful things you can do is to apply to as many internships as possible, even ones you’re not sure you’d like. As a freshman or sophomore, you’re mostly doing lower-division or core classes, so it is almost impossible to have a concrete grasp on what major interests you most. The process of applying to internships itself can be extremely educational, since you naturally begin researching different companies, roles, industries, and major pipelines. You’ll learn the responsibilities of different positions, what skills certain employers look for, and how various career paths are structured. This is how you build your knowledge bank of what you like, dislike, and how to improve your professional skills. Personally, I had several interviews for positions that helped me discover what I am not interested in. These experiences turned out just as valuable as the interviews that helped me discover my interests, since I gained experience that will improved my future interview skills and narrowed down my list of interests, where I discovered more about my likes and dislikes.

3. Get Involved.

Getting involved on campus and joining clubs is the perfect way to gain experience and build your resume. Nowadays, even early internship programs look for candidates with previous experience. As a freshman or sophomore, it is easy to feel overwhelmed or lacking in experience by not having a prior internship. Experience does not require you to have an internship, but actually comes from many places. Santa Clara Consulting, Information Systems Network, Investment Fund, and Finance Association are all examples of on-campus clubs that allow students to gain hands-on experience related to consulting, tech, investing, and finance. Personally, I joined AKPsi, the professional business fraternity, my freshman year, which helped me begin thinking about my professional development early on. Being surrounded by motivated people and upperclassmen who’d already gone through the recruiting process gave me valuable insight into how to prepare for future opportunities. Through organizations like these, you can build project experience, leadership skills, and industry knowledge. Many of these clubs also host guest speakers from different companies and industries. These events can be a great opportunity to build connections, ask questions, and learn more about career paths.

4. Find a mentor.

Find a mentor. During my senior year of high school, I landed a social media marketing internship due to prior experience I had making promotional videos on TikTok. As the internship progressed, I made it clear that I could competently perform my duties and continued to request more responsibilities to expand my knowledge base. By the end of my internship in my sophomore year, I had gained ample experience in market research, website development, and even gained managerial skills through delegation to offshore teams. When presented with an opportunity to prove yourself, it is necessary to follow through. Employers understand that you will make mistakes, especially early in your career. What matters more is showing initiative, asking thoughtful questions, and demonstrating a willingness to improve. These actions can lead to a mentor-mentee relationship with someone more experienced who is invested in your growth. Everyone finds mentors in different ways. Some mentors may be professors, supervisors, or upperclassmen who have gone through a similar experience. One thing many underclassmen misunderstand about mentorship is that you don’t need to ask someone to be your mentor directly. Instead, mentorship often develops naturally through consistent interaction. For example, you might ask a professor questions during office hours, request feedback from a supervisor at work, or reach out to an upperclassman about their internship experience. Over time, if you continue to stay in touch and seek advice, that person can gradually become a mentor.

Overall, the biggest lesson I learned is that you don’t need to have everything figured out when you arrive here at SCU. When I first arrived, I had no idea what major I wanted or career path I’d end up pursuing. If you take initiative early, stay curious, and remain open to trying new things, you’ll naturally put yourself in a position to succeed and create opportunities for your future.