When you made the decision to come to college, hopefully your primary concerns were doing well in classes and increasing your understanding and application of many different fields of study.  Your academic performance should be your top priority; however, there are many other things that ‘the college experience’ can give you if you take advantage of your time here.  It's true that getting involved on and off campus is valuable socially, developmentally, and personally.  But doing so is also extremely valuable when thinking about the job and internship search.

Being a well-rounded student demonstrates to employers that you are ready to handle the world of work.  Depending on your involvement, it is also where you are developing many job related skills that can help you to stand out from your competition.  All you need to do (aside from participating!) is to make the connection between what you are accomplishing and how it relates to necessary job/internship skills.

CareerBuilder recently conducted a survey, finding that “one-in-four hiring managers say relevant experience is the top thing they look for in a new graduate.”  You may be thinking that one in four is low, but why risk it in a tough economy?  Especially when you may already have plenty of experience from your involvement!

Take a look at THIS ARTICLE to see how CareerBuilder writers suggest that you connect your coursework, part-time jobs, campus leadership positions, clubs and other extra-curriculars, and volunteer work to your future job search efforts.  If you are a senior, be sure these things are sufficiently illustrated on your resume, in your cover letter, or through your interview responses; for those of you with a year or more left, take advantage of your time to get involved!