70. Build your résumé the smart way: start small, but start now
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raduation might seem very far away, but it’ll catch up to you faster than you expect. And in today’s job market, you want to have more than just a transcript full of decent grades under your belt when UBC spits you back into the real world. To work your way up to the kind of real-world experience that’ll put you ahead of all the other schmoes in your graduating class, you’ll want to get started now. If you’re thinking about going on in academia, you could try to get a paper published in your field while you’re still an undergrad. Take your first step toward this by asking to volunteer for a professor whose research you like. Other useful steps would be attending research lectures in your field (there are tons on campus) and chatting up grad students who study things you’re interested in. If you want to leave academia behind
and enter the workforce, try to get as much career-focused experience as you can now. Start looking into Work Study, internships and co-op options now. Don’t go to your professors for help; they’re the last people who can help you find a job outside the Ivory Tower. UBC Career Services has some job listings, but get used to scouring the internet for entry-level or internship work you can do part-time or during the summer. Another option for filling up some resumé real estate is student involvement. Volunteer for your faculty association, a club or the AMS now, and before long you could run for a position that has actual responsibility. Also, if you’re interested in journalism, writing, photography or design, did we mention that we’re a school newspaper that will help you do all of those things? You’ll wind up with work you can show off, and if you’re good enough you can even work your way up to getting paid.
71. Reading outside of class makes you a more interesting person
• Reading is an easy way to gauge your interest in an elective without committing to a full term. • Applications for some majors or honours programs require a list of readings you’ve completed outside of class. • Instead of turning to some mind-numbing Facebook time, try picking up a book
when you want to relax. • Pulling out a particularly dense tome is a great conversation-starter with other pseudo-intellectuals (now your new friends!). • And as Zizek says, why be happy when you could be interesting?
UNSOLICITED LIFE ADVICE
THE UBYSSEY
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