Working in higher education, students share their career ambitions in conversation and are absolutely confident that their college degree will provide opportunity beyond their wildest dreams. And, it will if they work hard, and never give in to the naysayers that counter their ambition with comments that are merely excuses for doing nothing. Doing nothing is easy, if requires minimum effort. The best part of doing nothing is that your expectations are low. Career development, post college requires a carefully crafted plan. The first question you need to ask is; "What can I do, right now, to put me in touch with those individuals that do the work that I want to do?" Actually, if you think about it, the answer is pretty obvious, and it is a little bit social media driven, but not entirely. Here is a tentative plan:
1. Start networking in your industry at the beginning of your college career. Befriend your instructors, read their bio's, ask questions. Your instructors are your first source for informational interviews. Your instructors will be flattered, believe me. As a part time adjunct instructor, I feel flattered when students ask for information or help in getting to their career goals.
2. Join a professional association immediately! As a student you get the student discount rate. Attending conferences may be prohibitively expensive, but if you get financial aid refund money that is discretionary, use it for association fees, it is well worth it.
3. Create a LinkedIn profile and get connected. Begin to brand yourself with a professional profile. Keep it professional. Many recruiters will search for you on Linkedin when you apply for a position with their organization. It is an extension of your professional persona, don't give a recruiter or hiring manager a reason to preclude you from an interview because of your Linkein profile.
4. Set up a Google Alert for your name, this will send out an email alert everytime your name shows up on social media. This will keep your reputation in tact. You will get the occasional obituary, but don't fret, it is part of life.
5. Use your career services department to prep you for your job search and interview. Career services departments are usually overwhelmed with appointments requests. Be specific as to your needs and if you are asking for a resume review; send it to the counselor before your appointment. If you need an assessment test request the link be sent to your email account and ask if there is a counselor available to help you interpret the results. You don't want to change majors or careers based on an assessment test based on results you may not understand.
Finally, keep records of the plan you have crafted and document your results. If you are not getting the results you expect, you may need to hire a private practitioner career counselor for assistance. This can be expensive and not an option at this stage in your career. However, it is fast becoming an option in the competitive job market. Take advantage of all the free help you can receive through your college career services department and begin to build a sustainable, professional image for yourself. In mainstream terms you are building a brand. Never leave your career or education to chance. Chances are you will get to where you want to be professionally, but you will get there sooner and go farther with a carefully crafted plan.
