Entry Level Careers Examiner
1 year, 9 months agoNovember 1, 6:25 AM
by Heather Huhman, Entry Level Careers Examiner
Are you graduating this semester or next? If so, I’m sure you have many questions looming in your mind about what lies ahead.
Recognizing this, Nicholas Aretakis wrote, “No More Ramen: The 20-Something’s Real World Survival Guide,” in which he answers students burning questions about after-college life. In a recent interview with Aretakis, he provided a sampling of those questions and the answers.
What is the right process to narrow my selection of potential career choices?
Individuals need to take a “self-test” on how to find that delicate intersection between what they like to do, where they have talents, what skills they’ve acquired, and how much/what type of experience or education they have.
There are Web sites that allow you to get a sense of what is required in a job, and you can visualize whether this type of job or company suits your interests.
You need to interview with as many potential companies and in as many industries as possible, gaining a sense of the requirements of the job, career mobility, earnings capabilities, as well as the intangibles – such as corporate culture, working hours, policies on vacation or personal time off, etc.
How do I discern whether a company or industry is going to survive in this economic climate?
You need to research specific industries and target companies. During your search process, check employer Web sites and compare competing companies. This can achieve several important factors, including uncovering other potential employers to interview with and the opportunity to compare products, services, financials, and how companies present themselves.
Another important element of the career search is to find a supervisor who will help accelerate your career, particularly during an entry-level position. You want someone who can serve as one of your qualified mentors.
How do I set reasonable goals and objectives for career and financial success?
You need to set short- and long-term goals, personal and professional. Develop a plan, execute it, constantly (i.e., bi-annually) reset objectives and raise the bar when you have exceeded some interim goals.
Keep your objectives on your computer, but also a back-up file on a memory card or in hard copy, and resave each time you update. Refer to this list when you have periodic reviews with your supervisor or human resources.
Also, keep an accomplishments log – things you contribute that your boss or employer may lose sight of in the general forms most companies utilize. For example, you helped close a major customer contract, uncovered a new prospect that resulted in upside business, generated positive PR for your company, developed a new product or service that resulted in increased revenues and profit margin, recruited new talent that has since contributed, etc.
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