Compared to the lives of their parents, today’s young college students are connected to the world in ways their parents could have only imagined. Growing up in an online-physical hybrid world, they are transforming relationships, college classrooms and business settings. From engaging in online classes to working with peers half a world away, technology has opened opportunities and experiences for college students in ways that were not available just a generation ago.
Facebook, Twitter and Skype are all tools most college students consider as important to their success as any textbook. Internships, co-ops and other networking opportunities are more prevalent now than just a generation ago and the technology makes those experiences easier to access. In addition, with an emphasis on gaining work experience while completing college classes, technology offers students many solutions. Skype and chat software allow students to engage with one another and with mentors even when they are not in the same geographical location.
Online courses allow students who are studying overseas to take a wider range of classes than those just offered by their host institution. In addition to being able to stay in contact with friends and relatives more easily, today’s technology also allows for more immediate communication when traveling overseas and/or engaging in career-building activities.
While technology can make global experiences more accessible, one factor remains consistent across generations. No matter how great technology is, a high-quality résumé is just as important now for college students today as it was for their parents. While the styles and formats of a résumé may have gotten a serious overhaul over the passing decades, one thing remains the same. At some point new college grads will need to succinctly document prestigious degrees, academic awards, incredible internship experiences and other pertinent information with a brief, yet engaging résumé that will garner the attention of a hiring professional.
Keeping in mind that résumés are snapshots of a professional’s attributes, it is important for students to use all the technological means available to them to build the best professional profile possible. With the flexibility of online learning, students can boost résumé power, polish off a secondary area of interest and seize many professional opportunities that today’s technology makes available to them.
For today’s college generation connected by rapidly changing technology, the global economy is beckoning as they choose experiences and degrees that will help prepare them to engage in a much more technologically diverse workplace than their parents faced just a few years ago.
