Don’t know what you want? Here’s how to find a job.
[Ed. note: This belongs to our series of posts featuring tips for recent grads from LinkedIn users. Mitchell Friedman is Director of MBA Career Services at the University of San Francisco. You can find him on LinkedIn or you can also follow him on Twitter.]
You’re graduating, and can’t decide what type of work you want. Don’t fret! Here are some tips to help you get into action:
* Act as if you know what you want. Find a way to connect to an opportunity, whether it’s the function, company, industry, or location. Your desire will inspire you to make contacts, develop materials, and apply for jobs.
* Consider every job an opportunity to learn, if not about specific responsibilities then about the organization or industry. Your ongoing challenge is to clarify what you like and dislike, a process that may take some time. Moreover, you never know when or where an experience may come in handy.
* Recognize that any job is not your life, won't last forever, and you don't have to choose the “perfect” job your first time (or even second or third times, for that matter). A year in a job may seem like an eternity, but (in most circumstances) won't kill you. At the same time, you can participate in professional organizations and pursue other non-work interests with the possibility that such efforts will yield future work options.
* Develop a plan A, plan B, and even a plan C for your job search, based on your interests. In other words, always have a backup plan should your first (or second) choice not work out. Who knows, your plan B job may evolve into a plan A job -- or may even become what you truly want to do!
Check out the rest of of our posts featuring tips for graduating students here
Check out the rest of of our posts featuring tips for graduating students here