An important part of the college experience is networking. A great aspect of Biola is how dedicated the school is to ensuring students get a chance to network within their major. Biola sets up career fairs and other expositions where students can hear about job opportunities and then meet representatives of the visiting businesses and organizations. I remember my first networking experience here at Biola came in the form of being on set of a big student film: a result of the connections that I had previously made. Ever since that set, I made friends and connections that still play a part in my film career today. If I didn’t network then, I wouldn’t have been able to be a part of others’ projects or even make my own. So what I want to encourage you all to do is to network and get involved as best as you can.

It can be a scary world at times and the common question among all of us college students is, “What am I gonna do when I graduate?” Biola is well aware of this and has catered to it as best as possible. Not only do students network amongst each other, but professors here have been known to help find internships and job opportunities for their students. As early as the first semester of my freshman year I had an internship simply because one of my professors and I connected and he saw my talents to be useful for an internship. Not only does Biola provide a school built on connection and community all seeking to aid one another, but we also have services dedicated to bolster the students chances in post-grad life.

Biola has a career development center where people within your major actually look over your resume and help you find internships and job opportunities that relate back to the major. You can visit career development where they can search for jobs and opportunities on campus, in the local area, in LA, and even internationally! There have been trips to Antarctica, Indonesia, and other places where students were able to engage in work in their field of interest. I think the most important thing to take away, however, is the effort that is needed to be put forth in order to excel in your field.

Networking, internships, and many other things are all efforts in wanting  to ensure a career. Of course, working on sets are mainly for those interested in film. But all majors have their version of “working on sets.” It can be difficult to be a good networker: it is a skill have to work on your whole life. I am not a great networker and I definitely need to work on those skills. However, as I have mentioned I am so grateful to be in a community where people are going to bat for me to ensure that I am best prepared for life after college. I am so grateful for the community and the network I have developed here at school. And don’t worry, networking comes naturally here. The community is built on cooperation and collaboration where everyone looks out for opportunities for each other.