Planning for the future can be a stressful and daunting task. Preparing for your life pre-graduation can take away some of your stress once you actually do graduate. Here are a few steps you can take now to make the transition from college to the real world a bit less stressful.
- Talk to Everyone
-
Some of the most important things to remember to do are networking and not burning any bridges. Introducing yourself to someone and striking up a casual conversation may lead to something bigger down the line. Talk to your advisors, professors, peers and bosses. You never know what advice they may have, what opportunities they may know about or who they may know.
- Find an Internship
-
No matter what field you want to go into, an internship gives you the experience necessary to be able to find a job once you graduate. Even though it may not pay, a good internship can get your foot into the door with a company and possibly lead to a job offer, or at least give you a reference. Internships also allow you to see how a particular position operates prior to going into an industry and possibly even lead to you realizing that you hate it. It gives you a taste of the role and the life you would live if you accepted a job and went into your field.
- Write Down Your Career Goals
-
Writing down your career goals may seem like an obvious suggestion, but laying goals out and specifically planning each milestone and how you plan on achieving that can be so much more helpful than you may realize. You can even take it a step further by creating a dream or vision board to be able to see images of your goals, and become more motivated to work towards them due to seeing them on a regular basis. Having a concrete, written down plan of your goals breaks them down in a way that is less intimidating and lets you see any progress you may make in your field.
- Take Advantage of On-Campus Resources
-
Many colleges and universities provide offices that assist students in finding jobs while they are still in school and even once they graduate. Take advantage of these services by asking questions, perfecting your resume and getting the perfect headshot. Often times they’re free because the fees are already included in your tuition. Additionally, go to your professors and ask if they have any connections in the industry that may be able to help you get on your feet, or even ask for something as small as shadowing them for a day to see what their job is like in your preferred job field. You wouldn’t believe the connections your own professors have and how willing they are to share them with you.
Image Credit: 1