bizMe

If you have recently graduated from college, you may be wondering the best way to make a transition from student to career woman. One of the most effective ways is through professional fellowships! Given today’s unpredictable job market, seeking professional fellowships can help every bizMe gal make the transition from college to career easier.

The purpose of professional fellowships is to give individuals with minimal or no experience a chance to cultivate their skills in their prospective fields through hands on fieldwork. Many employers encourage new college graduates to take on professional fellowships to acquire the skills to become both efficient and transformative in their chosen professions. Due to a diversity of career options, it is easy to find professional fellowships in a variety of fields. The best time to look into a professional fellowship that coincides with your career goals is usually during your last year of your undergraduate studies.

If you are currently in graduate school, the best time to inquire about fellowships is during the end of your first year of graduate work. Since most graduate programs are only a minimum of one to two years and the workload can sometimes be overwhelming, it is important to give yourself enough time to effectively fill out applications and write required essays. Furthermore, utilize both career and professional development services on campus. Begin to build a relationship with career counselors during your junior year of college and let them know your tentative interests. Many counselors will consider this and provide you with a variety of professional building programs during your senior of college. It is important for graduate students to build this relationship sooner because there is a shorter matriculation.

It is important to remember that some fellowship programs, such as Teach for America, pays inexperienced fellows a salary of a veteran individual in the profession. This can give bizMe gals the opportunity to both be exposed and know how to arrange their lifestyle around the salaries that they will be making in their career. Most importantly, being involved in a fellowship will allow you to make long lasting relationships with veterans in your respective field since many veteran employees train fellowship members. The following is a list of websites and fellowship names to some nationally acclaimed professional fellowships. Good Luck bizMe gals!

www.teachforamerica.org
www.oaklandteachingfellows.org
U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Ferguson Fellowship Program
U.S. Department of Homeland Security Graduate Fellowship Program

Kiesha Rudolph is a junior high teacher, freelance writer and graduate student residing in San Francisco. Currently, she is writing a comprehensive book on Women’s History