Planning is Essential to Success

            The job market today is a grim one, but I don’t have to tell anyone that.  I have a friend who graduated two years ago from a state college and he has yet found a job in his field, despite numerous interviews.  Many employers aren’t able to hire during this slowdown, which is causing many students to rethink applying for jobs and instead to attend grad school.  There are many pros and cons to either side of this decision, but what is most important now is to plan.  Whether you know you want to start working after graduation or further your education, make sure you take the necessary steps while you’re in undergrad to get yourself there. 

 

For me, an internship was essential to getting my job.  My junior year, I wasn’t sure where I wanted to work after graduation, but I knew I wanted to find a company that would take care of me and had opportunities that would challenge me in my career field.  Therefore, I decided not to get just “any internship”, but instead find an opportunity that would be most beneficial to my future career and give me direct experience with a company I would want to work for.  How did I do it?  Well, 1) with a lot of research online reviewing various companies and management-related jobs, 2) assessing my career goals and interests, and 3) leveraging my network and contacts, I was able to land a great internship at a management consulting firm.  To me, it was a dream internship that aligned well with my background and experience and would give me a good idea of what management consulting was all about.  It also helped that it was with a great company acclaimed for being one of the best places to launch a career as well as one of the best places to work.  These attributes were important to me because I knew as an employee this company would be investing into me as much as I would be with them; so there was some long-term viability with this opportunity. 

 

Fortunately, the internship turned out to be as beneficial and successful as I had hoped and it allowed me to land a job with this company post graduation.  Not only was I able to test out and get actual career experience, but I was able to turn the internship into a career opportunity and reduce my senior year “job-hunting” stress.  Even though I knew I could return to the company I interned for post-graduation, I didn’t take myself out of the job search and interviewing process—I wanted to be sure I knew all the other opportunities out there and make sure I was making the best career decision for me.  So, just like when I was trying to find my internship I followed the same rigorous and serious process to job-searching.  Again, I researched companies coming to campus, went to career fairs, signed-up and executed interviews, and even made company visits to learn more about other opportunities.  The entire experience helped me choose the right path for me, but it was because of the planning prior to senior year that aligned myself with the career path I wanted.  It is never too late to start planning and especially now it is important to start yourself down the right path want to do something you love. Some other ways to get experience or begin your grad-school prep would be to volunteer at an organization within your field, talk to your friend’s parents, advisors, professors, and other industry professionals about experience, and do your research now. 

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