Before Graduation…Maybe Even Before Spring Break?

Yea the Super Bowl was just played and you are only just now putting down a deposit on the spring break condo in Breckinridge, Cancun or wherever. But, May, graduation, interviews, student loan payments, and W-2’s are coming your way fast.

You are a young quarter lifer, 22-24 years of age, college attending cool dude or dudette, but crisis and opportunity are just around the corner.

Ergo, exploring, growing up and getting along with Quarter Life!

That senior year, last spring semester, just outside of college life, should be spent learning about yourself, beginning to explore the world of careers, potential jobs, bills, around the corner relationships and those people you will be leaving behind. You know those seven other decades of your life coming up. And putting into perspective with the 4, 5, 6+ years you are about to finish off. Lots of stuff to deal with. But, for now let us just concentrate on employment.

Quarter Lives help list activate:

Before the spring break debauchery starts…

1. Begin to develop a relationship with your academic advisor. That is if you have not and you probably don’t. They are actually helpful people and not just a signature for you to obtain when you need to be forced into or drop a class.
2. Stop by your career center and schedule an appointment to meet with a career counselor.
3. Attend at least one career program and/or presentation to hear alumni and other professionals talk about their jobs and career paths.
4. Not too late, gain practical experience and exposure to career fields through volunteer work, on-campus or part-time jobs. Apply, arrange, ass…get thee off of.
5. We need that resume done NOW!
6. If necessary, register and prepare for any graduate exams (GRE, MCAT,GAT, LSAT)
7. Do not burn any bridges for the next four months. Good-byes to faculty, staff, and friends are coming, but they will also be references, contacts and helpful networks for you later on. So do not let that last beer pong game get in the way of a potential job later.
8. While on spring break, try out some pick up lines, but also remember you will need to start practicing effective interviewing skills. Free drinks, mug down on the beach, shameful story or antibiotics…and later trying to find gainful employment. All the same stuff really.
9. Obtain at least three letters of reference from faculty, internships supervisors, fellow students, part-time employers, activity advisors, etc.
10. Your school probably has recruiting weeks. Find out about them NOW!

That’s it. Just ten things to do. You can make it happen. Remember the jobs you are applying for had ten applicants in 2008. Last year they had forty. 2010…well you will be one among many. Be prepared.

Also bonus spring break advice: Don’t drink the punch. No glove equals no love. Mononucleosis and strep throat are a bitch.