Hey! My name is Rana Campbell. I am a current sophomore here at Princeton University. I am a proud New Jerseyian, having lived in Orange, New Jersey my entire life. Apart from being a student, you might possibly spot me dancing with Black Arts Company, running an event with the Princeton Caribbean Connection, or volunteering at a local prison with the Petey Greene Prisoner Assistance Program. I am also one of Career Services Communications and Marketing interns. This is my first week on the job, and I already love it!

When I was first asked to write a blog, I thought it would be a good idea to do a four-part series, especially for Princeton Freshman (I was where you are just last year). Career Services has a wealth of resources available to you during your first year on campus—I didn’t know as much then as I do now about the ways they can help freshman. I thought it would be really good to let you have an inside scoop because the things you learn now will really help you later on. They assist undergraduates like you will all aspects of career planning which includes choosing a major/career, exploring various career interests, and developing effective job and internship search strategies. Cool, right?

I know most of you are thinking that it wasn’t too long ago when you were a freshman in high school. Now, you face this daunting, yet exciting new life called college. In fact, you even have the task of being a freshman again, but this time your worries are completely different. They now concern dorm furnishings, navigating campus, and even finalizing those hectic of schedules of yours. Let’s not forget the fun things in life such as juggling extracurricular activities and late night study breaks. Thinking about how to best use Princeton Career Services may be the furthest thing from your mind. True, you probably aren’t worried about securing a professional entry-level job yet—but you may start thinking about summer internships. No matter what type of experience you are thinking about, in order to be successful, you need to learn how to effectively communicate your goals and personality. The only way to do that is by assessing your interests, strengths, and values—starting now!

What is your brand? Get a scrap piece of paper and try answering the following questions: How do others describe you? How do you describe yourself? What are your most striking, admirable, and noteworthy characteristics? What makes you tick? What is the (insert your name here) experience like? Knowing the answers to these initial questions will definitely help you during the next few years. Think of yourself as a company. Yes, you are an INC. You are your own pool of product, brand, resources, and assets. Therefore, do you have a plan for growth? How can you, as a freshman, grow your brand this year, so that you will be better equipped next year when career hunting gets a bit closer?

TRY NEW THINGS! Most of us already know what we are good at. However, many of us don’t know what we could possibly be good at. The activities fair is a good place to sign up for new experiences. Who knows, you could possibly explore new interests (other than those you did in high school) by taking a leadership position in a club. Now is time to unleash your potential. Limiting yourself at this point is a big NO-NO. Go to a lot of open houses. Introduce yourself to everyone you meet. Don’t be scared to dip your feet into new waters. Attend all those pre- orientation events. Just by doing this, you can set out on your own path and create a personal brand that is as unique as you are. Seek out opportunities to:

The most important part of this process is to understand how you will accomplish all these brand- building strategies. By the end, you will have a better understanding of who you are and the values that are important to you. When it comes to searching for summer jobs or internships, you will definitely need to evaluate your personal brand and describe yourself in ways that illustrate what sets you apart from others. PriceWaterhouseCoopers created a really interesting guide made just for students that I think is really useful and pertinent to the idea of personal branding. Click Here to Check it Out!

Yes, now is the time to start developing new skills and seeking out ways to develop your brand. This will ultimately serve as the major force in anything you do—academically or career-wise.