College Experiences That Helped A Forward Planner At D.R. Horton Succeed

Avery, a Forward Planner at D.R. Horton, emphasizes the importance of internships in career exploration, stating that internships should be viewed as opportunities "to explore what you think you might wanna do." The experience of completing internships in home building, despite an agricultural business undergraduate degree, solidified Avery's career path and provided valuable real-world knowledge.

Internships, Career Exploration, Networking, Business Acumen, Agricultural Business

Advizer Information

Name

Job Title

Company

Undergrad

Grad Programs

Majors

Industries

Job Functions

Traits

Avery Jones

Forward Planner

D.R. Horton

California Polytechnic State University, San Luis Obispo

Environmental & Related Sciences

Real Estate

Took Out Loans, Greek Life Member

Video Highlights

1. Internships are crucial for career success and exploration. Consider internships as opportunities to explore potential career paths, not just to secure a specific post-grad role.

2. Don't limit internship choices to those strictly matching your desired career. Explore various options to discover your interests and passions.

3. Your college major doesn't necessarily dictate your career path. Internship experiences can significantly shape your career direction, even if they differ from your academic focus (e.g., studying agricultural business and working for home builders).

Transcript

What did you do in undergrad to set you up for success in your career?

Internships were a huge part of the success I've had in my career so far. Many college students think their internships need to be exactly what they want to do in their post-grad career.

Try to think about internships as a way to explore what you might want to do. You might get into an internship and realize it's exactly what you want. You might love the people you're working with and see yourself continuing down that career path.

Alternatively, you might go to an internship and find it's not what you expected. You might discover a part of the internship that's interesting and pivot, but not necessarily into the exact role you initially wanted.

I studied agricultural business and learned a lot about business in general. However, the internships I had working for home builders helped me understand that this was truly what I wanted to do in my career.

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