Work experience is a valuable asset that most young people start seriously thinking about once they begin their higher education. The first challenge that most of them face, however, is presenting themselves as competitive candidates for desired positions. “What if I do not have any experience in the field?” or “How do I best show off my skills?” are the oft-asked questions. For this and many other important reasons, the Career Development Center at NYU Shanghai was created to help students explore opportunities and develop confidence in shaping a path to the future. Career Bootcamp, organized during the first weeks of the fall semester, was especially focused on training students on how to successfully enter, compete, and develop in the job market.Career Bootcamp was a series of workshops and lectures with guest speakers that was aimed at introducing students to tips and tools that would help them be successful during interviews and actual internships. The kick-off event, a panel with Global Academic Fellows, gave students insight into different careers and extracurricular experiences that might be awaiting them. Following events that were focused on training in resume and cover letter writing, conduct during interviews, and the effective use of research and networking tools such as LinkedIn and newly launched NYU Shanghai CareerNet, students established a strong foundation for the Career Expo and Internship Fair that will take place in October. Career Bootcamp attracted a variety of students, most active of whom were freshmen. Although they are not encouraged to participate in off-campus internships this academic year, CDC prepared a special checklist to prepare students for this exciting step. Freshmen who attended any three workshops, plan to schedule several meetings with CDC advisors, and have at least a 3.0 GPA by the end of this term will get a chance to use the CareerNet for internship searching starting next semester. This program was launched during the Career Bootcamp to make sure that first-year students are strong enough academically and professionally before they start their off-campus job search. The week of informative workshops quickly came to an end, and the final event of the series, the Internship Reflection Forum, captured the attention of many students interested in hearing about classmates’ work experiences. Participation in the DBS Digital Express Challenge, internships in AEG, Goldman Sachs, and Horizon Media are just some of the experiences that students discussed. Special thanks to our portal sophomore and study-away student-panelists who enthusiastically shared their academic and career tips and answered all related questions. CDC Career Bootcamp at NYU Shanghai made it clear that shaping one’s academic and career path is easy if you know your way around. Even those with currently undecided majors need not worry; simply follow your passions and continue to explore all available options. Our faculty and staff are open to communication and have exciting stories to share about their careers; and, of course, the Career Development Center is more than happy to provide advice. As for now, students are welcome to check out the resources from the Career Bootcamp on OrgSync and sign up for the Internship Expo events that are starting next week. This article was written by Alina Gabdrakhmanova. Send an email to [email protected] to get in touch. Photo Credit: CDC