5 Things You Need to Know Before Graduation

By Jenissa Azard on February 22, 2013

Spring is one month away and with that comes beautiful weather, allergies and graduation. Universities everywhere will send thousands of recent college graduates into the workforce, which could leave some of them feeling unsure about themselves and their future. As a fellow senior at Florida State University, I’m afraid of facing my new life as an adult; I’ve grown accustomed to the school routine that has dominated my life since age four. Stepping out into the unknown, especially at a time when the job market is not ideal, can be overwhelming and at the same time an adventure. Thankfully, I have been fortunate enough to meet some really extraordinary people who work in phenomenal industries like advertising, PR, and entertainment. All of them have reiterated the same key principles that have changed my and hopefully your life as well.

1. Join School Organizations
Every college and university has a list of organizations students could join. You could join clubs for fun, community service, and those geared towards your major. The latter is thoroughly encouraged by future employers and college professors because it shows that you are more involved in your industry. I personally would have never met the people I have if it wasn’t for organizations like the FSU Ad Club and FPRA. They have connected me to national chapters and mentors in the industry as well as made sure to go to cities like New York, Boston, and Atlanta in order to visit agencies and companies I aspire to be a part of. School organizations connect you to students in your field, whom you can learn from, as well as create networking opportunities that could open doors to a career.

Photo by carbonnyc via Flickr.com

2. Join LinkedIn
If you haven’t already, you should sign up for LinkedIn. Every professional I have ever spoken to has said that it is a dynamic resource. As a professional network, it allows students and professionals to share resumes, skills, and connect to future employers. Helpful articles are published daily geared towards you all, the future employees. As an English major, I am constantly asked the question, “what are you going to do with that major?” The real question is: what can I not do with my major? I can gear my education in whichever direction I want. I encourage you to feel the same way about your skills and education. Employers are looking for talented young individuals (age is nothing but a number) with a lot of heart and EXPERIENCE. This is not to say that you have to have had several jobs before starting your career, it just means that employers love when you have been involved in the industry you want to become a part of. Be it an internship, some volunteer work, creating your own work. Learn how to market yourself; that’s what social media is for. Which brings me to…

3. Using Social Media Effectively
Most young adults spend most of their time on the web anyway, why not be productive with it as well. Employers are watching what you are doing online. Make sure your footprint isn’t going to negatively affect your potential career. In layman’s terms: clean up your profile. You do not want to be misrepresented on the web, so don’t share anything that could potentially harm you.

4. Your Major Doesn’t Define You
A lot of students have the misconception that whatever their major is in college will confine them to only one career path; that’s not necessarily true. Although most graduates would love to be in the profession they studied, others might not feel the same. For a lot of employers, the degree and the GPA are all that matter. You could be a Theater major and end up in Journalism, a Sociology major and end up Advertising. Albeit, you can’t just want into the medical field with a Humanities degree, most employers don’t care. The majority of companies have employee-training programs that will give you the skills you need. As long as you’re passionate and driven, you could make it anywhere.

5. Don’t Buckle Under the Pressure
Like most upcoming graduates, I’m always watching out for lists published by Forbes, Kiplinger, USA Today, any list I can find really, telling me what I want to know. What are the Best Cities for College Graduates, Best Cities for Young Adults, Best Cities to Live In, Worst and Best Majors, etc. My head is filled with so much information that I can’t process it all. I live on Payscale.com and Indeed.com, always looking at the number of employers seeking people in my field and where those people are located. As most of you know, the closer it gets to the end of the semester, the more anxiety you feel. The key is to remember that you are first and foremost a student. The most important thing is to focus on your studies and enjoy your last year in college, there’s no other time like it.

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