Congratulations, graduates! You hold in your hands the most expensive piece of paper you will ever own. You're sleep-deprived, in debt, hung over, 20 lbs. heavier, and you probably have no idea what to do next or how to get a job in the current economy.
And yet, here you are in your caps and gowns with the same hope, optimism and excitement that every class possessed before you. Don't lose this attitude because this is what will get you through.
Here's a little advice for you as you start on your way:
1. Take a week or two weeks to relax and celebrate your accomplishments, but don't waste your whole summer being a bum.
2. Talk to everyone. Tell them what type of job you're looking for and then LISTEN. Parents, friends' parents, professors, high school teachers, acquaintances, distant cousins, classmates, family physicians, baristas, cab drivers... you never know where your first job will come from. You never know who will say the magic words that will inspire you, change your mind, or spur you into action.
3. There's no shame in going back home. Yes, it is a pain to live under your parents' roof after being "independent" for four years, but it's better to have your basic needs met while looking for a job. It cuts down on stress and gives you more time in the day to get things done.
4. Buy a suit, put it on, and go do something. A job will not magically fall in your lap while you're sitting on the couch watching soap operas. Go to the library, visit the chamber of commerce, and go to networking events.
5. Focus on the end result instead of how you're going to get there. Make a list of what you want to be doing, and focus on that. There are jobs out there that you have never heard of, much less considered, that could make you very happy.
6. Don't limit yourself into thinking that your degree has set you up for a specific job or field, especially if you have a liberal arts degree. You skills are more versatile than you think.
7. Research companies you want to work for. Read books about people you admire whose steps you want to follow.
8. Never go into an interview unprepared. Ever.
9. Don't act like a pompous little know-it-all when speaking to an interviewer, or anyone else for that matter. There's a fine line between communicating what your skills and education will bring to a company, and coming off as an arrogant little shit. You are brand new. You may have been the cream of the crop in your class, but no one wants to hear you brag about yourself now. Stop it. It's obnoxious.
10. Don't get discouraged. If you don't get the job, it means that it wasn't the right job for you and something better will come along. If you keep getting turned down, don't get really depressed and wallow in your pajamas all day eating raw cookie dough (I've been there, it doesn't help anything). Keep trying and keep your eyes on the prize.
[this is good] What very good question
Posted by: Jessie Meade | 05/01/2010 at 01:16 AM