Career Advice for College Grads: 7 Tips for Success

Congrats grads! This is an exciting time for you, full of possibilities. Many of you may have plans or even a job lined up, but many of you may be asking, now what?

Congratulations graduate! Now what?

Here are seven tips to help you get ready for the working world:

1. Get your resume ready.

Resumes should tell a story about who you are as a person and what your skills and talents are. Clearly, a 21-year old is not going to have the same resume as a seasoned pro, but employers know this, so don’t worry about impressive credentials. Just do the best you can with your experience so far and find things that highlight your strengths and skills. Click here to read what the pros at Harvard say a good resume should look like.

2. Showcase your skills and responsibilities.

Any kind of job, internship, volunteer work, or affiliation should go on your resume. Whatever you did that reflects leadership and responsibility should go on your resume, whether it’s lifeguarding or babysitting or serving as chair of your college’s housing committee. Did your manager give you responsibility, like locking up at night, opening in the morning, or making deposits? Did you serve as membership chair for your sorority? Captain of the baseball team? Chairman of the campus recyclers? Include it.

You were a lifeguard? That counts! Put it on.

Volunteer work should also go on your resume. Volunteering shows a level of social and community consciousness and commitment that many employers find valuable. It’s also good work experience, especially if you served in a leadership or managerial position.

And one last thing: never, ever lie, fudge the truth, or exaggerate what you did. Ever.

3. Don't be clever.

Resumes should be simple, easy to read, and written in a standard format. Don't get fancy or creative. Don’t use fancy fonts or colored paper. You want to stand out because of who you are, not because your resume is kitschy. And always spell check.

It's true. Make sure you write properly.

4. Use your college.

Your college wants you to be a successful alum, so most provide a career center or alumni network that you can use. These services can be a mixed bag, but they are always worth checking out. Many colleges offer career counseling, job fairs, and internship programs. Some will set up real or practice interviews for you, help you with your resume, and hone your interview skills. Many offer personality and skills tests that can help you focus on your career choices.

You should definitely leverage the alumni relations department, especially at schools with a lot of school spirit. Most alumni who registered with the career center are more than willing to help new graduates. Usually, these alumni are broken out by profession and can be counted on to provide information about a certain field, advice on getting into it, and will review your resume. They may also offer internships, informational interviews, and invaluable contacts in your field. Don’t be shy—this is networking, and it is one of the best ways to get a job.

5. Use your family and friends.

Network with the people around you. Does your roommate’s dad work for a company you like? Does your mom’s best friend have your dream job? Is there a professor who thinks you’re great? Does a friend or neighbor have a parent, sibling, or associate in your field? You may be surprised that your Aunt Mary knows so-and-so, who can land you a great job or at least an interview. Cast a wide net, and don’t be shy. This is what networking is all about.

This is a don't. No cute paper, ever.

6. Don’t take the summer off.

While this is your last summer of “freedom,” think twice about taking the summer off before you start looking for a job. There are millions of other graduates (and seasoned workers!) who are in the market. Look at the hiring cycle of your desired profession or industry. If you want to enter one that actively seeks college graduates, then taking the summer off is not a good idea. In other professions, entry-level jobs may open up all the time, so taking one last summer off may not be a big deal, but remember: jobs are scarce and the market is tough.

If it's out there your employer will find it.

7. Clean up your e-life.

One of the first things your prospective employer will do is Google you and search social media. If there is something embarrassing or unflattering they will find it, so take down any embarrassing or inappropriate posts. Drunk pictures and postings? Remove them. Salacious content? Strike it. X-rate videos? C’mon. Whatever is out there they can find, so do yourself a favor and clean it up.

Good luck!

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For more career advice, please visit my Media Page.

7 Tips to Spring Clean Your Professional Persona

I hope it’s safe to say that spring is finally here (and I hope I didn't just jinx it). For many people, that means spring cleaning—dusting off the cobwebs, airing out the house, tossing out old clothes. This is also a perfect time to spring clean your professional life, and it follows the same trajectory of dusting things off and cleaning things up.

Spring clean your professional life, too!

Here are seven tips to help you spring clean your professional persona:

1. Update your resume. Even if you aren't looking for a job, it’s a good idea to have a current resume handy. So get it out and look it over: what’s changed? What needs updating? Anything to add, remove, or change, like references, phone numbers, or e-mail addresses? How about affiliations and volunteer work? Give your resume a good once over. Send it to a friend for an edit.

2. Edit/update your Linked In profile. Even if you use Linked In a lot, it’s a good idea to take a few minutes to actually read your profile: what needs updating? What needs to be added? How is your headshot? Read it as if for the first time.

3. Ditto for your Facebook page. Any posts or pictures that you want to add or take down? Maybe take this opportunity to finally adjust your settings so you get fewer notifications in your in-box. Do you really need all those close friend notifications? Take the time to make it work for you.

4. Look at your Twitter feed. Same thing here. How is your profile? Your picture? How are your tweets? Check your settings. Are your tweets linked to your Facebook page and vice versa? Do you want them to be? Anyone you want to stop following?

What do your professional clothes say?

5. Clean your closet. Put away the winter things and get out your spring and summer clothes. Try everything on. What needs to go to Goodwill and what stays? If things don't fit, is it worth altering them? Look at your wardrobe. Does it say, “I am a valued professional”? Or does it say, “I need help”? Clothes are important, so take the time to look at your wardrobe with a critical eye. Are your clothes helping you or hurting you?

Does your office look like this?

6. Organize your office. Whether you work in an office or at home, you need a clean, well-organized workspace. Take a look at your desk. What can you do to de-clutter and streamline it? What can you file away or get rid of? Take a look at your office. Is it well organized? Is it a comfortable place to work?

Or like this?

7. Clean out/organize computer files. De-clutter your computer desktop and files as well. Can you streamline your desktop and dock? What do you really need to keep there? Can you use an external storage system or put files in the cloud? Can you find what you need easily?

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Spring is a great time to get organized. Set aside a chunk of time to spring clean your professional persona, and you’ll be re-energized for the rest of the year. Better yet, do it every season!

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http://www.careerstonegroup.com

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