A Little Advice From a Recent Rutgers Grad

Congratulations Graduate!  This is a time in your life that will be filled with joy, excitement, and memorable moments.  However, after you finish your finals and experience the week of “activities” before you slip into that stylish cap and gown, you will be approaching and entering what I refer to as “real life.” Suddenly, the fear of the unknown begins to slowly set in. What will you do after you graduate? Where will you begin your job search? What will you do if your education does not match up with the career you are seeking?

Fear not fellow graduate! There are a number of steps that you can take that will allow you to take a deep breath and accept that diploma with a smile and a plan.

Here is some advice I found extremely helpful while experiencing the scenario I just described:

1. Know yourself and your ultimate career goals.

This is the step where you conduct a 360 plan. Try to figure out where you see yourself in 10 years. The picture can be fuzzy but you should have some broad brush strokes before beginning your search. If you see yourself as a professional (doctor, lawyer, psychologist, etc) explore all opportunities that will give you experience in your desired field. If you see yourself in business, set yourself up for success by networking and keeping in contact with employers after interviews and career fairs. Knowing yourself and your goals will make you that much more confident in your interviewing stages and your life.

1. Put your plan into action.

There is a saying “getting a job is a full time job.” Although, I would love to tell you that this is simply a myth and suggest an alternative saying to motivate and excite you, abiding by this will put you in the best position to land your dream career. This includes the whole nine yards: Career Fairs, interviews, research, networking, meetings, etc. I attended four career fairs and talked to every single employer before discovering Aerotek and knowing that it was the perfect fit for me. If you do the same, with an open mind, I can assure you that it will lead to success.

1. Have an open mind and do your due diligence.

This is one step I will admit helped me the most with my career search. There are a number of career options that may be novel to you. Do not rule these out. By exploring options that are not familiar to you, you will open up many new doors with your search. It will also help you to understand what you want out of a career and the means of getting what you want. Do your due diligence by researching the companies and positions. Ask a lot of questions on interviews and match each opportunity you receive accordingly. Although a position may seem like a good fit for now, will it benefit you and your goals in 5 years? The key to finding a position you will be happy and successful at is knowing what you want, knowing there is an opportunity to reach you want, and knowing that the management structure is designed in a way that will allow you to achieve your goals.

1. Instead of living life and figuring it out later, figure out where you want your life to go and start putting the pieces together for success

You can take away the saying “live your life and figure it out later”. This is a fun and great way to think about decisions that aren’t pertinent to your life goals. However, when it comes to your career search you want to set yourself up today for success down the road.

Written by: Katie Marino, Recruiter, Aerotek Commercial Piscataway, NJ