5 Tips for Navigating & Negotiating Opportunities

It may seem wild for students to overextend time and energy into multiple areas. After all, is it really possible to keep a job and begin an internship? For many students picking a job, that covers living expenses over an unpaid internship, is not an option. In a perfect world students could pick from a plethora of paid internships with little worry about making ends meet. As a student who has been in this position it is important to understand that doing multiple tasks is possible if you're willing to step out of your comfort zone and ask for what you need to be successful.

Here are my tips for doing both:

1. Build a professional relationship with the person(s) who will be working with you to develop a work/internship schedule.

2. Be honest with all parties about your obligations outside of work/internship duties. Just ask for what you want!

3. Kindly ask for space to work outside of the office and demand flexibility over time.

4. Do your absolute best to keep your deadlines and dates straight. Under promise and over deliver.

5. Deliver bold astonishing results, regularly.

If you're delivering favorable outcomes, does it really matter where the work took place?

The truth is that our world is changing quickly thanks to technology. As consumers of education it is imperative that our generation begins to push past rigid schedules and office spaces that often limit opportunities. Thanks to online programs, cell phones, and email we are all interconnected in ways can expand learning students' ability to hold multiple positions that support living costs and learning simultaneously.