When you first arrive at UW Madison, it might feel like everyone already knows their major, career goals, and jobs lined up. The real truth is that almost everyone is still figuring it out. My biggest piece of advice would be to start exploring professional development early, but don’t feel pressured to try and figure every single thing out freshman year.
One of the best and most actionable things you can do is to simply talk to and meet people. Meet with your advisor, chat with older students about classes, and attend networking events like the career fair. Even if it feels awkward at first, these types of conversations are great for breaking the ice and learning more about all the great options at your disposal.
Another great step is getting experience through involvement. Joining interesting clubs and volunteering is a great way to build communication and teamwork skills that will be very useful down the line. Even if the experience isn’t directly connected to the future career you end up in, it can still teach you what certain work environments you prefer.
Freshman year is also the perfect time to start building out your LinkedIn and Handshake profiles. I remember feeling like my resume wasn’t good enough at the beginning but it can be updated over time and these platforms are essential for effective connection.
The best career path is not always clear from day one. Start small, always be curious, and utilize all the great resources Madison has to offer.
