How Do You Land the Perfect Job After College? Start Preparing for it Today
BOC Contributor: Kelly Smith Beaty
I love visiting college campuses and talking to students about the road from the classroom to
the boardroom. These visits help me remember what it was like to be a bright-eyed, energetic,
young woman, eager to go out and make my mark on the world. Our talks remind me that the
day-to-day tasks that I now view as mundane, once seemed so glamorous, so exciting, and so
many worlds away.
Throughout my time visiting with various students from myriad backgrounds and campuses
across the country, I’ve noticed that one question is raised most frequently, “How do I get my
dream job after college?” My answer to that question is always the same, and it’s the same bit
of advice that I’m writing to share with each of you now, “Start today.”
There’s a popular business adage that encourages us to “Begin with the end in mind.” That
advice holds true for your college-to-career journey and should be applied from the moment you
first set foot on your college campus. Too many times, I talk with young women entering their
senior year of college, who are just beginning to give real thought to what they will do in the
days that follow the coveted college commencement ceremony. While it’s always a great time to
begin planning for your future, the truth is that if you’ve waited until senior year to begin career
planning, you’re already three years too late.
Begin your freshman year. Even if you don’t yet know what kind of professional you want to be,
I’d bet that you have a good sense of the type of woman you want to be. You probably have
images in your mind of the style of clothes you’ll one day wear, the kind of cars you will drive,
the neighborhood you will live in, and the organizations you will volunteer with in your free time.
You know who you want to be when you “grow up,” so start there. Your college years are a
great time to begin meeting women whose lives seem similar to the kind of life you’d like to one
day lead. With the internet at your fingertips, and through platforms like LinkedIn and social
media, almost any professional you’d like to meet is just a few clicks away. Send a message to
executives in your lifestyle of choice, and ask if they would talk with you about their career. A
simple email exchange or 15 minute call could put you one step closer to your dream job and
one contact closer to a meaningful professional network.
In addition, seek out volunteer opportunities, internships, and classes/workshops that will help
you gain firsthand insight on the kind of work you may want to do. All of those experiences,
together, will help you determine your career path, while also helping you build the type of
résumé that makes you a dream candidate for employers looking to hire recent graduates.
Finally, be strategic with your social media. I know it’s fun to show your friends how lit last
weekend’s party was, but I encourage you not to post anything that you wouldn’t want to have to
explain during a job interview later on. With the omnipresence of social media, people can’t just
move on from their pasts as easily as they used to. So post with your future in mind. You’re a
BOSS right now, so what better time to begin showing that off to the world than today?!
The truth is that your career journey has already begun. So, get going on your research, start
building your network, begin seeking real-life career experiences, and use your social media
platforms to help build your reputation as the smart, capable, ready-to-conquer-the-world BOSS
that you already are. The time between your first day on campus and your first day at work will
pass much more quickly than you think, so don’t get caught unprepared and unemployed. Start
working on tomorrow, today!
What are some ways you can demonstrate that you’re a BOSS right now? Tweet us at @BOSSOnCampus and let us know.