To everyone graduating in the next few weeks, I’m sorry, but I don’t think I’ll be able to help you with this one. For those of you graduating in May, there may still be hope, but now is the time to absolutely get your sh*t together. While you may be an adult now, going into the real world is a lot tougher than life in college. There are no more excuses, no more second chances, what is done is done and you have to keep going forward in your life. One of the largest portions of adjusting to your life after college is trying to get your dream job. No matter what field or industry it may be in, there are a few sure-fire ways to get one step closer and put you above your peers in the very competitive job market.
- Get An Internship
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Internships are a good way to get your foot in the door of a company. An internship can provide you with experience and boost your resume. They enable you to know more about the field and professional workplace. Internships also help build contacts in your desired industry in addition to potential references for later down the line. If you do well in an internship, the company or your boss may even offer you an actual position with the company that you can work your way up from. They give you true work experience in the field to help you determine whether or not you would want to make a career in the field. Even if you can’t find a secured internship, you can ask to shadow local people in the businesses you aspire to work in to see their day to day work and how they operate within their company and field.
- Find A Mentor
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Mentors can provide you with some industry oversight and truly guide you on your career path. They make for great references and can aid you in refining what you want to do as a career path. They can help you find resources as well as refer you to available jobs they know in the industry due to the professional connections they have built throughout the years. Mentors also allow you to see other roles and professions in the field you may not have previously considered. Often times you can find mentors through professional events in the industry, but you could also connect with some via LinkedIn and reach out. If they don’t want to be a mentor, they may have some advice for you, as they were in the same position as you at one point.
- Build A Professional Network
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Build a network of professionals you know in the industry that you can call on, use for references and ask about industry news or job opportunities. By making these connections with others in the same industry, you can make professional contacts that can be used later down the line or for collaborative purposes, especially in creative fields such as arts and journalism.
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