The Top Ten (Actually, Eleven) Steps to Get You From College to Career

You’ve just spent four or more years earning your education and degree. Maybe you’re in the last semester of your senior year; maybe you graduated earlier this January. Either way, it’s time to start your job search.

Or maybe — if you’re lucky — you’ve just begun your first professional job and are looking for advice to make this first professional experience a good one.

Perhaps your college or university does a good job preparing its students for the “real world”; perhaps not. Either way — we’re here to help you with some expert advice and resources if you’re still scratching your head and wondering, “What do I do next?”

From Your Job Search to How to Thrive at Your First Job

Given that George’s daughter is in her junior year at college, and I returned to school later in life and graduated four years ago, George and I are very aware that the transition from school life to “real” life can be difficult.

Neither of us are experts on this topic, so we have enlisted Jessica Cates and Alexandra Levit to weigh in. Jessica works in Career Services at the University of Texas at Arlington in Arlington, Texas, as an Employer Relations Specialist. Twentysomething Career Expert Alexandra Levit is the author of several career books, including: They Don’t Teach Corporate in College and How’d You Score That Gig?: A Guide to the Coolest Jobs-and How to Get Them.

Together, Alexandra and Jessica have provided us, and you, with the following steps to not only help you find that first job, but to make it a successful one.

Tips to Help You Find Your First Job

Start Early. According to Jessica, It is crucial, now more than ever, to start the job search early. The average job search timeline is 4-7 months for new college graduates. The most successful job searcher will spend the same amount of time job searching as they do preparing for and attending a three-hour course.

Develop a Marketable Corporate Persona, Alexandra advises. Think of yourself as a publicist with the task of promoting you. Learn to capitalize on your skills, succinctly assert your achievements, and project a corporate persona — or your most mature, professional, and competent face.

Get to Bed at a Decent Hour. Jessica says: Your college schedule and your work schedule are probably going to be very different. Your body and your lifestyle will need time to adjust to a regular work day. Going to bed at a decent hour and eating your Wheaties will help — really!

Stay motivated despite trying circumstances. Alexandra reminds you that although the business world can be frustrating, you should remember that you can always choose your response to your environment. If you make a conscious decision to begin each day with a positive outlook, job-search (and work) challenges can’t take that away from you. Aim to increase your self-awareness so you can better understand your emotional hot buttons.

Make New Friends and Establish Profitable Relationships. Both Jessica and Alexandra stress the importance of networking, both during your job search and after you’ve started your first job. Alexandra stresses the value of business networking “to gain information, increase your visibility in your field and make connections that will help you move forward in your career,” and suggests that you seek out new contacts and potential mentors whom you like and admire and whose interests you share. Jessica suggests you stay connected with your friends from college, but “do not be afraid to make new ones.”

Congratulations! You Have Your First Profesional Job! Now What Do You Do?

You’re sitting at your first desk, in your first job, perhaps even on your first day. Now that you’re here, how do you impress your current employer and develop your skills to be ready for the next steps in your career?

Be Realistic, Jessica advises, and you will save yourself from “many sleepless nights.” College graduates get entry level jobs (which do not start out at $75,000). Hang in there. It will not always be glamorous, but the experience you gain on your first job will be the reason you are able to get your second.

Be proactive about your career growth. Both of our experts agree on this piece of advice, though they approach the details differently. Jessica advises attending conferences, workshops, and training seminars, while Alexandra adds that you should approach your performance review strategically by soliciting feedback on your progress, identifying new goals and growth opportunities and hammering out a long-term promotion plan. When asking your boss for a raise, be prepared with a list of contributions that have positively impacted the bottom line. Finally, Jessica says, Don’t be afraid to ask! Asking questions is going to be vital to your transition. When on the job, asking questions is going to be expected of anyone in a new position.

Always Be Professional. According to Jessica, you must dress appropriately, arrive on time, and observe company culture. Remember — if you don’t know, ASK! While office politics are unavoidable, you can avoid getting in the middle of the drama. Stay focused on doing a good job and be friendly and respectful to everyone.

Master transferable skills such as goal setting, effective communication, and time management. You might not know exactly what you want to do with your life, but transferable skills will serve you well no matter what future path you decide to pursue, Alexandra says. Make your time count now by working with your boss to set specific, reasonable, and attainable goals for your present position that will help you advance to the next level.

Hang onto Your Money. According to Jessica, for a lot of new graduates, the first job is also the first paycheck. While it is very tempting to buy a new car, the plasma TV of your dream, and a Louis Vuitton purse, wait a little while. Try to wait six months before making any large purchases. This will give you time to outline a workable (and realistic) budget.

Get people to cooperate. Always keep in mind that other people don’t care what you want — they want to know what’s in it for them, says Alexandra. By approaching negotiations with an attitude that allows both parties to win, you’ll be more effective at eliciting cooperation and ultimately getting what you want.

A Few Final Words from Alexandra Levit

In addition to helping us come up with these steps, Alexandra offered the following advice:

Politically motivated and fraught with nonsensical change, the professional world is not a natural fit for ambitious college graduates who leave school expecting results from a logical combination of education and effort. Suddenly, the tenets of success we were taught since kindergarten don’t apply, for getting ahead in the real world may have nothing to do with intelligence or exceeding a set of defined expectations.

Today’s twenty-something employees technically have more occupational choices than previous generations, but since the turbulent economy has now limited our options, we face escalating uncertainty about our careers. More employees are seeking counseling than ever before, and job jumping, spurred by stress and dissatisfaction, has become the norm.

These steps may not be what you expected to have to do when you graduated, but your transition will be a lot easier if you take them to heart. Recognize that as a twenty-something employee, there’s no way for you to know everything right away, and in your first job, focus on learning rather than achievement. Your time should be spent focusing on developing skills like this that will last you for a lifetime. You have the rest of your career to carry the burden of being a senior-level executive.