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Feel like you’re going to fall off a cliff after graduation?
As a current graduating senior, you’ve likely felt that way and worry about what’s next. You’ve always had a plan: finish high school, go off to college, study hard, get an internship… graduate from college. Then what? Land your first job? Become a functional adult? Saying goodbye to your college years can be hard enough as is, but when you add landing a full-time job into the mix — yes, feeling like you’re going to fall off a cliff is an accurate description of how most of us soon-to-be-college-grads feel.
People will not stop asking you questions, either. “What are your post-grad plans?” “Where are you going to live?” “Are you moving back home?” “Have you started applying for jobs yet?” “How are your interviews going?” “What will you do if you don’t get a job?”
Despite all of these emotions and questions, relax; you will be just fine. I think we could all use that reminder more often. Yes, finding a job can be difficult, but if you apply yourself, you’ll figure it out.
I’ve been doing a lot of thinking as my college years come to a close. I want to share my wisdom, so that you too can feel better about saying goodbye to college and (hopefully) hello to a job.
Make a bucket list of things you want to do before graduation.
This has been especially helpful to me. I started to think about all the things I want to do and accomplish before May and compiled a bucket list. Creating a bucket list is a great way to stay busy until graduation, and it gets you thinking about all you’ve experienced thus far.
Spend time creating memories with your friends, but don’t completely ditch your studies.
College is most likely the last time that you and all your friends will be living near each other. Make sure to take advantage of this time. You will remember the moments with your friends much, much more than you will remember the night you spent studying for a quiz. With that being said, don’t ditch your studies completely. Finish out your college years strong so that you will still get that degree you’ve been working diligently for.
Get on LinkedIn if you haven’t already.
No matter what field you’re going into, LinkedIn can be a useful tool. You can put yourself out there with an online resume and build your network up. LinkedIn allows you to connect with countless professionals and even search for jobs. Yes; that’s right. You can apply for jobs directly from your LinkedIn account. If you’re not already on LinkedIn, I highly, highly encourage you to create a profile. And if you are on LinkedIn, be sure to update your profile regularly!
Network, network, network.
I cannot stress the importance of being friendly and networking. If you already have an internship, build relationships at the company and use them. You’d be surprised at how willing people are to help out. Speaking of helping out — I bet your university puts on all kinds of networking events and career fairs. Go to them! It never hurts to show up with a resume in your hand and a smile on your face. It is crucial, especially in your senior year of college, to get your name out there, to build connections and to take advantage of them.
Update your resume often.
Make sure you are constantly updating your resume, whether it be adding a new position or editing what you currently have. It’s always a good idea to look at your resume and skim it for a few seconds. Most employers only scan your resume for a few seconds before they decide if you will get an interview. Take a look at your verbs and make them even stronger. You only have one piece of paper to show an employer what you’re all about. Ensure that it shows all that you have to offer, because I bet it’s a lot.
Stay tuned for how to make your resume land you an interview in the digital marketing field (something we know a little about…)
Happy rest of your college days,
The Intern