#FridayFive: How I got a job 24 hours BEFORE I graduated

Yes, you read correctly. I received a job offer from a great company literally a day before I was to walk across the stage. But hold on to your hats, because this story gets even more twisted. The job I was offered was a job I never even applied for!

So I know you’re wondering … How did this happen!!!??? Well in this post I will reveal that information and much more.  There are five essentials that I feel helped me to accomplish what most would call unthinkable in 2012. Take this advice to heart because it’s all from my experience and seemed to work pretty well.

Networking – Tell everyone you know (and people you don’t know) about your passion for whatever it is you’re passionate about. You never know whom someone else knows and could connect you with. Post it on Facebook, Twitter, Linkedin everywhere! Reach out to people who do what you want to do and talk to them about it! Trust me! They want to know you and share their knowledge.  

Resilience – This is a characteristic that is essential in any career and is helpful to anyone looking for a job. Looking for a first job is going to be difficult and stressful. I can remember nights in my last semester of school where I would apply for 5-10 jobs (not even having a degree) and beat myself up about not hearing back. Although, my case is extreme this shows my dedication to wanting a job. If there’s something you want in life don’t let internal or external forces stop you. Be resilient and you’ll be success. Read this post about resilience: http://www.reasonedpr.com/blog/promance-thoughts-from-guest-blogger-graduating-senior-james-burge/

Confidence – You know what you know, so show it in your interview. Make an extra effort to bring up skills and knowledge you have, even if the interviewer doesn’t bring those up. My number one piece of advice is BE YOURSELF during the interview! The person you are during the interview is the person they want to work with if they hire you. Start the way you want to finish.   

Innovation/Creativity - Do something no one else is doing. Think outside the box. In an effort to not be cliché, I’m basically saying create your own persona and don’t copy others. For me, this meant branding myself. By branding myself, I communicated two different skills. I showed my future employer that I am aware of the importance of consistency in branding and that I can do the same for his/her company. See my online portfolio: www.jamesburgepr.com

A Team – The old saying, “It takes a village to raise a child” is very true. When you’re trying to reach your dreams, or even when trying to figure out what those dreams are, a team of supporters is the most valuable asset you can have. These people will edit your resume, call/email you about new job openings they know of, and even provide an ear for you to vent about how you haven’t heard anything back or when you receive bad news. Your team is your core group that will offer you all the things you can’t do for yourself. 

#FridayFive: Things I wish I knew when I graduated

You are not a bum or a loser if you move home. Whether it is in the hometown where you grew up or a brand new city, moving home will give you a firm launching pad to job search, relax a bit and decide what you want to do next. Plus, half of your friends are doing the exact same thing so don't feel alone.

Do not know your next step? It's okay.  After reading multiple Gen-Y blogs and crying myself to sleep, I figured out it's fine to not have it all figured out. Your parents may be hounding your butt to know what you want to do. When they graduated college, they had a great economy to go into. We do not. Reality check to your parents! You are not alone in this feeling; a lot of new graduates are going through this.

Speak up. You have a passion? Bring it into your conversations as you introduce yourself to new people. "What do you want to do?" (A common question for new grads.). Originally, I was scared to admit my passion. But now when I am talking with people, it comes up organically. Doors have opened up for me to pursue that passion just by having conversations and talking openly with people. Passion for fashion? Talk about it. Passion for children? Talk about it. Pursue avenues to be able to tell people about your passions, you never know who will be that door into an exciting adventure.

Get Community. If you are moving back to your hometown and feel like the only one, or are moving to a new city where you know no one, get out there and meet some people. Having friends who are similar in age or share the same passion will make this transition period much easier. I moved to a new city out of the country to live with my parents. It took me 6 months of being persistent and proactive to have a semblance of a social life. Another great resource is your alumni organization within your university. Contact them and see what events they're planning, jobs they may know about or to see if they know of anyone who is working in the field you are passionate about.

Go easy on yourself. Give yourself some grace and slack for the different emotions that spring up after graduating from college. Unless you are going straight into a masters program, you are finally done with school after it has consumed 15+ years of your life. There is such a thing as a quarter-life crisis. Google it. It is normal to have differing feelings about moving on with your life and to fear the unknown. Now stop giving yourself such a hard time and embrace this new journey!

Is there something you wish you knew when you graduated that you have since learned?