by Tar Tut, NJHA Director

There is not a day that goes by where I am not constantly thinking about the future. Continually thinking about even the simple future, like what I am going to eat, when I must leave for class, what I’m doing the next day, and the list goes on. For me though, one thing stays constant: what is my future going to look like when I graduate and what will I do?

Thinking about what your future is going to look like can be intimidating. Let’s face it, we all want to be young forever without a care in the world, however, once you’ve graduated from college, we all must go out to find a job and career. Keeping those things about the future in mind, we must first focus on make connections, starting with internships and discovering what you would potentially want to do as a future career, along with getting your foot into as many doors as possible.

This past fall I had the unique opportunity to intern with the Arkansas Youth Expo, in Fayetteville, Ark. The Arkansas Youth Expo (AYE) is a program developed to ensure that the youth of Arkansas are impacted with experiences that will allow them to achieve more in their personal life and devoted to developing leaders. While I loved getting the opportunity to help execute the show, my favorite part was getting the chance to work with the young exhibitors and meeting new people. I know the genuine importance and value of making connections with each and every person you meet, because some day they could could influence your future career by knowing, or possibly being, your boss.

I was always told growing up, it is not about what you know, it is about WHO you know. So, my advice to our young juniors is to get as involved as you can. Do as many internships as you can, ask questions, branch out and never be afraid of doing something new. I think it is critical to get yourself involved at a young age because, not only is it important for your personal development, but also helps you start building a network of people that you can rely on for your future as you mature and start looking for jobs.

So, my goal for you is to encourage you to get out, be known, make connections and always work on building a better you, for a better future.