2020 is coming to an end and post-grad nerves are settling in. That feeling is completely valid especially during a global pandemic. However, right now is the perfect time to prepare for your upcoming graduation with these three tips.
- Assess yourself and your future goals!
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Approaching graduation your main concern is what am I going to do with my life and how am I going to achieve it. This common feeling encompasses almost every graduate in some way. Although, this worry should be evaluated early to give you time to achieve your goals. The first step is to sit down and write your goals pertaining to what you are striving for: in work, academically or life in general. This needs to be detailed, vague goals never see the light of day without a plan. You can do this by writing why it is important to you, when it needs to be accomplished by and who will hold you accountable for the goal. Once you set a clear vison of what is important, you can begin to prioritize and strategize!
- Build your circle of influence
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Now that you have your goals, you need to build your circle of influence in order to reach those. As a soon to be college graduate myself, I am realizing the power of networking now more than ever. Networking through LinkedIn and other social media platforms allows you to engage with future employers or other successful professionals you may aspire to be like. This is a crucial step in order to differentiate yourself in such a saturated marketplace, as many college grads are looking to accomplish similar goals.
Networking can be achieved not only through social platforms but by attending online virtual events in the industry you are looking to work in or becoming more active in organizations through your college. Forming virtual connections is at all time high and is very simple to achieve as long as you are genuinely interested in forming meaningful relationships.
The power of networking could provide you with the upper hand when applying for jobs or looking for internships.
- Gain real-world experience
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Graduation means entering the workforce, and that new life is very intimidating for everyday college students. Although, it is easy to combat that concern by applying what you’ve learned in the classroom out of it. Using your goals and network you can narrow down where you want to gain experience whether that is an internship, part-time job or full-time in your field of study’s industry. By having experience this will make a future full-time job seem less daunting. I believe this is the outright best way to kick post-grad stress away.
2020 is stressful enough, however if you stop right now and start implementing these three steps into your life you will feel more relieved about graduating. Remember to stay true to yourself and go get the post-grad job of your dreams!