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Wright State alumni advice to succeed

Wright State Spring Commencement | Photo by Soham Parikh | The Wright State Guardian

“If you can say yes, say yes. Say yes to opportunities that are not just out of the box, but get rid of the box entirely,” said Shelley Neuhart, 2018 Wright State graduate.

Both in-class education and out-of-class experience increase the likelihood of finding the desired job after college.

Internships are key in connecting with employers and helping students better understand the workplace. They also look great on resumes and often result in full-time positions down the line.

Shelley Neuhart’s two-year internship at the Washington State University Foundation was the sole reason she was offered her current job.

“It [the internship] was 100 percent important,” said Neuhart. “Internships are where you learn how to apply what you are learning in the classroom. Practical experience is crucial to showcasing how you can perform the work in a full-time capacity.”

Internships accelerate job opportunities and show employers who can handle the responsibility.

“Having the experience on my resume and under my belt not only helped with accelerating the job opportunity, but it increased the amount of responsibility from the get-go,” said recent Wright State graduate Holley Mapel.

Mapel graduated from Wright State last spring with a major in Marketing and a minor in both Economics and Nonprofit Management and now works as a project manager at Cru headquarters in Orlando, Fla.

Joining student organizations on campus is another great way to prepare yourself for a job in the near future. Organizations allow students to take on more responsibility, step up to leadership positions, meet new people and seek out mentors from a variety of different backgrounds.

On-campus jobs, although not permanent, can help students make connections while earning money at the same time.

“I was a graduate assistant in the Office of Alumni Relations at Wright State,” said Neuhart. “This directly led me to my current career path and opened doors for me that I did not even know existed!”

According to Neuhart, taking on internships, jobs and joining student organizations challenged her to develop important skills such as prioritizing, learning when to say no and when to ask for help.

Making goals and taking the initiative to make them a reality is essential in finding a job, but do not get caught up on one specific idea.

Opportunities change and allow new ideas to present themselves.

“My two greatest career interests have remained the same, yet the vehicle in which I live those out certainly changed,” said Mapel. “I did not picture myself where I am now most of my college years, however, I now see that it is okay for plans to change.”

While in college, it can be difficult to imagine a specific career path, so create goals and strive to take advantage of the endless opportunities this world has to offer.

“The Wright State Alumni Association is incredibly proud of our alumni who have graduated from Wright State, taken what they’ve learned while here and gone on to successful careers,” said Nicole Craw, assistant director of alumni marketing and communications. “We love to hear stories of our alumni who have made their homes and professional lives right here in the greater Miami Valley as well as across the globe.”



Makenzie Hoeferlin

Editor-in-Chief

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