By Aleksandra Sidorova
The size and renown of a school isn’t what paves students’ way to success. An alumna and career adviser weigh in on some ways a small school, such as SUNY Plattsburgh, can help students thrive.
A body of about 4,000 students was part of what encouraged Angelina Briggs to transfer from the University at Buffalo, a school of almost 30,000 students. Buffalo was too big for her to know where to start engaging, and too big for her to make an impact, she said.
Briggs graduated in May with an audio production degree. She said she worked hard, and that’s why she feels she made the most of her time at SUNY Plattsburgh.
“I pushed myself to my limit, and then maybe a little bit more than that, because I knew that I was capable of it,” Briggs said.
WHAT EMPLOYERS LOOK FOR
Licenses and certifications are not all that employers might look for from fresh graduates, said Tobi Hay, Career Development Center director. Besides experiences and qualifications, there is an array of soft skills employers want to see, which students can gain by being involved anywhere on campus.
“Most employers are really looking for potential,” Hay said.
Extracurriculars look good on resumes because they can teach students some desirable skills, Hay said.
The National Association of Colleges and Employers’ most recent survey found almost 90% of employers’ most desired skill was problem solving, and close to 80% look for the ability to work in a team.
Other skills in demand are communication, critical thinking and flexibility. SUNY Plattsburgh has more than 60 clubs, 12 club sports, 14 fraternities and sororities and plenty of opportunities for on-campus work.
Hay noted that athletes, for example, are attractive to employers because they are goal-oriented, consistent hard workers and open to feedback. Briggs said being involved in clubs and organizations on campus helped her learn people skills and show leadership.
MORE THAN CLASS
Briggs was a member of Black Onyx: the Black Student Union and Her Campus, as well as a dancer in three groups. The experiences in clubs made her realize she was good at managing money, which led to her serving as the Student Association’s treasurer and having a seat on College Auxiliary Services’ board of directors.
She didn’t go easy on academics, either — Briggs took 23 credits in her final semester to graduate on time after switching her major from computer science.
For two semesters, Briggs was a teaching assistant in a public speaking class, even though she considers herself shy and introverted.
“Coming from someone who is very scared to put herself out there, it’s a very scary thing,” Briggs said. “I know it is, but it is that first leap of faith and getting you out of your comfort zone that will make a lifetime of a difference.”
WHAT YOU MAKE IT
Job market experts estimate that as much as 85% of jobs are a result of networking. Some of these valuable connections can come from SUNY Plattsburgh’s alumni pool.
“Alumni tell us all the time that doors opened for them that they weren’t looking for, they weren’t knocking necessarily,” Hay said.
Additionally, alumni visit their alma mater during Homecoming weekend and as guests for the “Alumni in the Classroom” event series — both are opportunities to network. SUNY Plattsburgh occasionally hosts networking and recruiting events on-campus. Hay also suggests looking at Handshake, a job search app that partners with colleges, including SUNY Plattsburgh, for virtual recruiting events.
The CDC also works with students one-on-one to assist in searching for jobs or applying to grad school.
Briggs said interacting with SUNY Plattsburgh’s tight-knit community taught her a valuable lesson for navigating life.
“People think that once you leave college, you’re supposed to become like a robot in the system,” Briggs said. “Humans are very complex creatures, but at the end of the day, we are who we are because of the things that we’ve gone through.”
