Graduation Day

For the past two days we have been proudly attending the graduation ceremonies of our daughter. She has spent the past two years going to Columbia Teachers College at night. She’d work hard at being a teacher during the day then pack it in to drive down to Amsterdam and Broadway where she’d spent several hours a night learning how to be the very best reading specialist that there will ever be. She’d give 100% to the children in her classroom and 100% to her Master’s program. A few things had to give such as a social life and sleep, yet she did it and with all A’s.

At the graduation ceremonies the University President spoke of the lack of jobs for these very qualified and eager students. Our daughter is lucky because she is set employment-wise. Thousands of the other undergraduate and graduate students won’t be so lucky. Unfortunately this scene is playing out all over the country.

How can a recent graduate stand out and get noticed? Here are a few steps that may help.
1. Network: While it is critical to have a social presence through LinkedIn it is also equally important to make physical contact with people. Take advantage of your parent’s of help. They may know many contacts who can help you even if it is for informational interviews. If you were involved in a fraternity or sorority, make use of those contacts and their acquaintances. Your other friends have networking contacts as well. Make sure to return the favor with your own contacts. Don’t be afraid to let your professors or other administrators know about your job search progress as well.
As I watched my daughter interact with her professors over these past few days, I noticed a special bond between them. They let me know that she was eager, participated in the classroom discussions, she was also approachable and likable. I know that if she were looking for employment, these professors would pull whatever strings that they had to get her seen by prospective employers. Think about those types of professors or school contacts that you have made and reach out to them. (If you haven’t yet graduated, now is the time to make those meaningful, sincere connections).

2. Volunteer: Yours is the generation known for helping others. Get out there and give back and in doing so, make connections.

3. Clean up your resume: Make sure that your resume is ready when your networking contacts ask for it.

4. Make up some business cards: Find a source for reasonable yet professional cards and create a batch to have on hand.

5. Join a Young Professional Group: Many United Way organizations have a branch featuring activities and opportunities for the newly graduated. As the group says, “Getting involved in the community is a great way to build your resume, learn new skills and create important relationships, both on a business and social level.”

These five steps all lead to the same thing, networking. Funny how that works. If you just graduated, congratulations and good luck following your dream!