College festivals have finally kicked off in full force across India. Almost all of the annual college festivals have returned to their offline mode conducting events on a much larger scale post the COVID scares. Cultural appreciation, competitions and quizzes, student innovations, dance, fashion, music, art, food and drinks, and celebrations are at an all-time high in India’s colleges during the annual festivals.
This time is a golden opportunity for students to set their career plans into action. How? College festivals are no longer just college cultural events, they are much more than that. They have now become a gateway to valuable career opportunities for students. Participation in the college festivals although is not a compulsion, students must get their names enrolled in some of the other fest duties.
Students must not underestimate the importance of college festivals. They hold the potential to benefit one’s career in many ways. Let’s take a look at how they can help
It’s a great place to network
The more people there are at a given place, the more interaction and networking takes place. College festivals are a great way to meet new people – some like-minded, some sharing similar interests and some from other fields or areas of interest – who can help you win an opportunity to do something new. Developing new connections come to one’s help at any time in life. Thus, opening yourself up to the festival crowd is always a good thing. Interact with the people you meet, have meaningful conversations, exchange contacts and develop cordial relationships. Stay in touch.
Hones interpersonal skills
College festivals, along with fun also involve working tirelessly with a large group of people. If you are the organising college, you must take up responsibility. It could be anything from being a contingent representative to being an administration member. Many colleges hold elections to elect the festival chairperson, vice chairperson, president, etc. College faculty also holds interviews for those willing to take on leadership duties during the fest like appointing core committee members and heads of departments. You must put your name for any area that interests you. This will help you develop and hone your interpersonal skills like communication, organization, coordination, team working, problem-solving, etc. These are all the skills which recruiters look for in fresh graduates.
Appreciation for work by industry experts
If you are good at some skill or art, you should participate in the festival events like dance competitions or fashion shows, or hackathons. These events are judged by industry experts invited by college festivals. When you demonstrate your skills in front of these experts, you stand a chance of getting feedback and review directly from the pundits. This creates a huge scope for improvement and helps you gain professional insights which will greatly benefit you when you step out of college in search of work.
Expands one knowledge
While teachers and textbooks are great sources of knowledge and learning, participating in college festivals exposes students to newer ideas and concepts of the real world. It provides a glimpse into the real world and helps you understand what to expect when you graduate.
Helps explore new interests
College festivals open you to newer fields and help you explore interests you were previously unaware of. This way, you will have various career options to choose from. You will gain clarity on what you want to pursue and what career is not best for you.
Great source of motivation to do well in life
The organising committee of college festivals invite a number of renowned guests, industry experts, and celebrities. They use festivals as a platform to connect with the students and share their success stories. Listening to them speak and share their inspiring success stories act as a source of motivation to do well in life.
