No matter what the prospects are for immediate employment in your field, you must assume that the workplace is changing and will continue to change throughout your lifetime. We experienced this in 2020 with COVID-19, and again in 2023 with the emergence of AI (Artificial Intelligence) threatening to disrupt many types of employment while simultaneously creating new and unforeseen opportunities. The job you start right after college, or the one you keep while in college, will likely be replaced by another position.

Changing technologies, increases in productivity, unforeseen events – all contribute to the need to assume that there is no such thing as job security. Examples abound of jobs that no longer are prevalent, or may exist only in specialized niches, such as stenographers or telephone operators or coopers. Many workplaces have moved away from the need for physical strength and repetitive tasks that have become automated.

On the other hand, there are jobs in fields that will continue to grow, such as health care, data science, and green technologies. For example, the U.S. Department of Labor projects that nurse practitioners and wind turbine service technicians will be the fastest-growing occupations in the United States throughout the 2020s.

This certainty of change is the reason that preparing for the workplace requires more than acquiring a narrow set of skills specific to your intended career. The broad foundation of knowledge provided by the Gen Ed curriculum, the lifelong learning skills discussed in Chapter 3, and the communication, teamwork, and leadership opportunities explored here in Chapter 4 are all ways that you can prepare yourself to learn, adapt, and grow in your career.

New Spaces, Familiar Skills

The workplace will be different in many ways from your college experience, but the skills and knowledge you are developing now will help you make your way forward.

• You are developing your professional skills in college, including managing your attention and time, communicating clearly, and meeting your goals. These skills, supported by your abilities and knowledge, will help you accept the opportunities presented to you.
• As a college student, you are not only learning specific content. You are also learning how to learn, including strategies for reading, writing, and mathematical reasoning that will help you master new knowledge and adapt to change.
• Networking is about creating connections. The art of conversation will help you create relationships with co-workers, possible mentors, and others in your work world. Developing connections with fellow students, professors, and campus staff is the first step toward creating a professional network.
• You are learning how to deal with imperfect conditions, by choosing your response to challenges, remaining optimistic, and examining what you can do better next time.
• When you ask your professors what you can do to improve, you are not only learning how to become a stronger student. You are also developing the valuable skill of taking feedback constructively and using it to improve your performance. This ability will serve you well in the workplace.
• When you begin your career, you will need to use your skills and achievements to create your professional self. How will you put your “best foot” forward? Begin thinking now about the professional identity you want to develop and project.

Professional Development

Many students make the mistake of waiting until they are close to graduation to begin preparing for the job market. A better plan is to visit the Professional Development Center early in your college career, ideally in your first semester, and begin taking advantage of their services to explore possible careers, develop a strong resumé, learn about opportunities like workshops, career fairs and internships, and much more.

The mission of the Professional Development Center (PDC) is to help students and alumni cultivate essential competencies needed to make informed decisions and take the necessary steps to achieve their career goals. The Counseling Center also offers career services, such as tests that assess your personality and learning style with specific academic majors and career paths.

Corporate Partnerships

https://www.citytech.cuny.edu/about-us/partnerships.aspx

City Tech works with many partners to support the evolution of Brooklyn’s Tech Triangle and the economic expansion of Downtown Brooklyn.

Through City Tech’s partners, students have the opportunity to intern at companies that operate in the Brooklyn Navy Yard, as well as at Goldman Sachs, Brookhaven National Laboratories and many other leading corporations.

Internships

A number of departments at City Tech provide internships as part of the requirement for graduation. Below are some of those departments. Consult your academic advisor even if your major department is not on this list; opportunities may be available even if internships are not a requirement for your degree.

Paid Community Service Opportunities

The Service Corps gives students who are eligible to receive Federal Work Study the chance to improve New York City’s future — while gaining real-world work experience. Students commit to serving in the program for one year from the Fall through Spring semesters for 11-12 hours per week.

Connect with Fellow City Tech Graduates

Looking ahead past graduation? Interested in connecting with graduates of City Tech? Reach out to the Alumni Association.

The City Tech Alumni Association offers programs and related activities that serve to cultivate interest and encourage involvement in the larger life of the College on the part of graduates and all former students. The office provides assistance through access to City Tech’s Professional Development Center and other college-wide services. Its activities provide alumni with a variety of valuable networking and other opportunities to promote good fellowship. Reduced and low-cost services are available to all alumni through the College’s Dental Hygiene and the Eyeglasses Clinics. Reduced rates for hundreds of Continuing Education courses and programs provide learning opportunities to upgrade existing skills and acquire new ones. Many of these programs lead to certification and licensure.

The Alumni Relations’ social media platform enables alumni to easily communicate with the College and one another though Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest, and the City Tech Alumni LinkedIn Group.