College-to-Career Tips to Transform Your Stress into Success
If you are a college student seeing graduation on the horizon, this Blog is for you!
You’ve been working your tail off to keep your grades up and your GPA high. (Click HERE to learn about the “New GPA” that is especially appealing to employers.) You might also be juggling a job or two to make ends meet during your final sprint to earn your degree.
I get it and, even if we haven’t met, I believe in you!
Like so many purpose-driven young professionals today, you envision yourself having a fulfilling career Doing Well for yourself & Doing Good work in the world– busy making money & making a difference.
But you can’t help but wonder how your college-to-career transition will go when you really haven’t had time (or made time) to get the real-world experience employers want to see on your resume.
Sometimes you feel like a dog chasing its tail– After all, how are you supposed to get the job without experience and experience without the job?
People tell you to network, but you realize that takes time too and, even if you attend networking events, you’re not quite sure who you would talk to or what you would say without feeling awkward.
You figure you will sort it all out over your upcoming break, until you realize you actually need (and deserve) to catch up on sleep and enjoy a little down-time.
Before you know it, graduation is a few months away and you are lacking the career clarity, confidence, and connections you assumed you would have at this stage of the game.
Sometimes it seems like you’re the only one without a game plan, and you’re starting to stress in silence.
OK, OK, Wait! You got this!
Here are 3 tips to set yourself up for success upon graduation and beyond:
1. Take a page from nature’s book
Acknowledge that change is inevitable. Just as the leaves fall off the trees, you are entering a new season of change and growth. It is how you choose to relate to change that will make all the difference. Consider that life is happening FOR you, not TO you. And, while I’m on a roll, please remember, "Today is the first day of the rest of your life."
2. Plan your work and work your plan
Carve out time to envision where you want to go after college. What do you want to be doing? Who do you want to be serving? Then create an action plan with a timeline to gain both the “soft” and “hard” skills that will support you during this critical time of transition. Heck, it may not be too late for you to set up a spring internship, or even a mini "winternship," as I like to call it. Go for it!
3. Invest in building relationships now
Too many young people rely only on searching for jobs online ‘in a vacuum’ without making time to build mutually beneficial relationships with real people in fields that interest them. Do not wait until after spring break to network out of desperation. Start meeting new people ASAP and be mindful of networking to give vs. get.
For more information about how we can help you achieve your career goals, feel free to Book a Career Check-Up with me and/or learn about our services and resources for young professionals HERE.
To Your Success!
Amy