Today is my one-year anniversary with my company. I’m still very much “a young professional,” and I have reaffirmed my belief in the statement that “you learn something new every day.” I always try to remember that every day presents an opportunity to learn something new. And while how you look on paper is important, it’s what and who you know that make all the difference.
Since I’m feeling nostalgic today (and I’m writing my third installment of my development series), I’m going to share a few tips to “keep your eyes on the prize” during your final part of college and first year of your career. Case in point: One volunteer program I participate in helps people thinking about building their future professional brand. In this case, helping students build their college experience to be the most beneficial it can be for the career that lies ahead. Getting and maintaining focus will take them—and you—far in your career. The following tips (based on my own experiences) offer guidance on how to do just that in your last years in college.
Grades aren’t the most important thing in college life. I know it’s weird to hear that from someone writing on a higher education blog, but it’s really the truth. I know from experience—as a “bad test taker”—that you shouldn’t stress yourself out too much over whether the answer to that multiple-choice test question is A or D. Whether or not you actually “get” the concept behind the test question is MUCH MORE important. As an added bonus: If you focus on concepts, and actually making sense of it all, the tests usually come a little easier.
Focus on getting some experience under your belt. Whether through an internship or a student organization, having some kind of working experience in your chosen field is very important when you start actually looking for your first “real” job. Participating in programs often gives you a foot in the door for a permanent position; employers love cherry picking employees from their batch of interns. Shine and you might just land a job!
If you can’t land an internship, you’ll also want to keep examples of your work with various projects and extracurricular activities in the form of a portfolio of sorts that you can tote along with you to an interview. This is especially important if you have taken my advice on point number 1; potential employers will want to see that you’re not some kind of a dunce, and you can prove it with physical work. Keep in mind that, according to the Center for Creative Leadership, one of the top things employers like about our generation is the fact that we’re “creative, open, and bring fresh ideas.” College is the perfect time to experiment with new ideas on how to do something that has always been done a certain way.
Don’t give up! There will be times in any situation when it seems like professors have coordinated all their midterms, there are three group projects that seem like a one-person show (the one person being you), and you have a huge deadline for your student organization that has you wondering why you joined at all—all due in the same week. The planets have aligned to make your life awful, but life does go on. Proving that you made it through such trials is important, and can have a significant impact when you’re interviewing for a job. You better believe that having a tough time getting through college and actually making it can impress an employer. (Hint: this is another thing that employers love about our generation—our self-motivation and discipline).
I never thought a year ago that I’d be blogging for ASTD today. Heck, a year ago I didn’t even know what ASTD was, as shameful as that is. The college experience and start of a career are full of opportunities for greatness; greet every one with an open mind, and you’ll be surprised where it takes you.
