I am a senior in college and am not afraid to admit that I’m absolutely scared out of my mind to begin a career. Questions such as: “What type of career am I looking for? Where do I want to live?” And, “How do I find a company that blends my wants and needs with theirs?” consume my thoughts.
My long nights of studying – and procrastinating – will be replaced with early morning commutes and bills to pay. My Xbox will be replaced with a company computer and my soda with an absurd amount of coffee. The time has finally come to grow up.
As many would call this conundrum, “The real world.”
Now, I have an eerie feeling just about every other college senior across the world is having the same worries. Therefore, I have compiled a brief list of tips that have been shared with me throughout my college career to offset some of the anxiety many of us have at the moment.
I can’t guarantee these tips will help you land your dream job. My hope is this guide can help you find the career that God has intended. A career that is flourishing and abundant. A career that multiplies your faith and leads you through a happy and successful life.
How will I find a job?
1. You are only as valuable as the people and connections you know and make now.
I’ve often heard the phrase, “It’s not what you know, it’s who you know” throughout my time in college. Is that true? Should I focus more on building professional connections than making the dean’s list? And my answer is always “yes.” As a Christian, it’s my goal to build and foster as many relationships as possible. This mindset is not only of value in terms of my faith, but in my prospective career.
By building trust with those already in industries that I may see as a possible career path, I believe I will set myself up to be more successful in whatever route I choose. I’ve also realized that leaning on those relationships to secure job leads is not considered a burden for the other party, but a way for him or her to lend a helping hand to someone he or she cares about. Strive to make the dean’s list, but understand that book smarts without personal skills will only get you so far.
2. Find a company culture that fits your values.
I constantly find myself wondering how I can find a career that allows me to not only bring home a paycheck but to make a difference in my family, community and world. Yes, we as upcoming young professionals need a steady income to take care of the massive amounts of student debt we must start paying off soon, but we also need to realize that money shouldn’t be the only factor in what we will do for the rest of our lives. My goal is to find a company that values my opinion and advances my faith. This goal may be different for you, but recognizing that goal is a great first step in choosing potential employers to pursue.
3. Attitude, attitude, attitude
Searching for a career may not be fun. Concerns about making the wrong decision could lead to sleepless nights. Balancing the application/interview process with your final semester of college won’t be easy. But doing these things with an open and positive attitude will make the task seem much more attainable.
Explore your mind and set aside some alone time to actually think about the path you will head down and then take action. Understand that God works in mysterious ways, but nothing is accomplished without a little initiative. We will all take a different path and there is no one correct way to finding a career, but trusting that God closes and opens doors when you fully trust in his guidance will provide peace of mind.
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As I venture into the next chapter of life, I pray that these intentional first steps can better position me to find the career God has intended. Knowing that the first job I land more than likely will not be where I will stay for the rest of my life is important to keep in mind.
Our wants and needs may shift and our minds may be transformed to a new way of thinking, but the purpose behind our service will always be powered through a faith in God. As an intern at Everence®, I have come to appreciate its passion in pairing the values of its employees to the overall organizational mission. It truly is a great place to work, and who knows – maybe you or I will find our way through the door of an Everence location with a résumé in hand.