How do you prepare to get a job and live after college

Hi! I agree with Austin's tips but let me give you another perspective. Sometimes, the resources at a university are not good! I remember my college career center sucked SO BAD and they were not helpful. I would suggest is ask the right questions. To utilize such resources in a university, make sure you do prior research. When it comes to preparing for a job, research is key. Look at stats, search median salary, and even forums that have people with the job you wish to pursue. Try to look from all different angles. And don't be mistaken, just because someone doesn't have to worry about anything about their tuition, doesn't mean that they don't have problems. Don't worry about others are doing, focus on what you need to focus on to achieve your goal.

In terms of internship, yes they can be beneficial. But keep in mind, just because you do an internship, there is NO guarantee that you will land a job after you do an internship. This is by no means to discourage you, but please be aware. You will not be the only person looking for an internship or try to earn an internship. Try to be unique and true to yourself. There are those who land an internship and do everything right and they do not land a job nor find an opportunity. Please keep this in mind.

Networking and finding connections through people is also very useful, but it may not come easy for everyone. I personally struggled with networking because I am naturally a quiet person. It is about 'selling yourself' and letting people know who you are and what your abilities are. My advice is to when it comes to this is make a connection with your favorite professor. When you are looking up courses, research the professor and see how students like he or she. Once you know that you are willing to take the class, start building a professional student-professor relationship. I believe it is a good place to start and it will slowly make you feel comfortable when talking to others. Let's face it, college is a whole different ball game.

After college life, I remember I felt lost at first. I did not know what to do because I was not up early studying or writing papers anymore. Enjoy your freedom but strap your boots for the real world. It can get boring and repetitive so find your happy zone. Find something that you enjoy doing with your own company AND with people you enjoy spending time with. I think it is really important to find alone time and get in tune with yourself.

Lastly, just know that sometimes 'landing on your feet' after college is not the easiest thing. You may struggle until you really land on your feet but just know that it is ok. It best to pick up good habits while in college that way you can utilize them after college. Good habits like, having a calendar to mark when you have assignments and exams, getting enough rest, and making a schedule on when to get stuff done are just a few ways to jump start towards your success. Good luck and chin up!

Hi JaMiyah,

Fantastic question first of all!! As a recent college graduate I really feel this and can relate to how you are feeling. I remember during my senior year I had all my classes but my graduation date was quickly approaching and all I could think about was post graduation life. How will I find a job? How will I pay bills? Where do I find my doctor? These were just some of the many questions that I had swirling around in my head throughout my senior year.

Finding a job is both the most stressful and most rewarding aspect of post college life. There are plenty of ways to find a job, but perhaps the easiest way to find one is leverage the power and strength of your university. All colleges that I know of have a student/career center where it is their job to assist students in finding jobs. My university had a fantastic career center that had more material than I knew what to do with. Colleges often have resume writing workshops, discussions where employers come and talk about job openings, interview preparation, and a whole assortment of other services that are all free of charge. I recommend to first check out what resources your school has in finding post-graduation employment.

In addition to resources at your school, leverage the connections that you have as well as your work experience. Connections are important and you never know how large your human network is until you explore it. You will be surprised by the number of people you know as well as how your network will be able to assist you. Seek out internships as internships are often the best way to finding employment (I was an intern at a company which led me to becoming a full time employee).

One of the hardest things that I found about post-college life was how unstructured it was. The structure of college makes things easy as you know what you have to do, but in life that is not the case. Yeah you have to go to work everyday, but after work this is no sort of regiment. You will have to be self disciplined and find way to make structure for yourself and idle time can be dangerous. Join clubs, get involved in activities, and do something; work can be draining and these types of activities enable you to recharge.

I hope this help and I wish you the best of luck!!

Best,

Austin