Throughout every college student’s academic career, the daunting thought of a post-graduation job quickly manifests itself into a long term goal. All of the schooling, loans, stress, tests, finals, and time spent on education is all aimed at one sole purpose: a career.

College is an average of four years of training, growing up, and countless classes pertaining to one’s major. There is a checklist that can prove to be an aid in the ever-growing pursuit of job searching. Along with a degree, the checklist consists of: LinkedIn, internships, academic mentors, letters of recommendation, and networks. These are all vital within the search and make it easier to prioritize obligations.

LinkedIn is a social media network where people in similar business fields can connect professionally. This networking resource is crucially effective in meeting others who are not always in the same profession, but could be beneficial. With the explosion of social media in recent years, there is no wonder that career searching has integrated into the community. More information on the resource can be found at www.linkedin.com.

Internships are a dynamic part of beefing up a resume. An internship can give hands-on experience to a student in their particular field, as well as lay the foundation of fundamentals. Students utilizing their academic advisors as well as the career services office, which is located on the first floor of Center for Academic Success (CAS), can help out dramatically with landing an internship. Conner Granato, a junior psychology major, spoke about the help Kean University offers, “as a soon-to-be senior, I look forward to utilizing the career services department as much as possible.”

The main platform and largest area that should be focused on during a career search is networking and connections. Success in networking can be obtained by using what resources are available to a person, such as LinkedIn, internships, academic mentors, and letters of recommendation. By making use all of these resources, a student is gaining networks that was not previously in possession. Every opportunity and every resource contributes to the larger scheme of building a network of countless professionals to aid a person in their search. Blanca Rosales-Ahn, a career coordinator, stated, “In today's competitive global economy, all graduates must be able to market the education and skills they obtained from their academic education, life experiences, and on-the-job training. Competition is fierce, so it's important for new professionals to consistently network and tailor their strengths to match both their target audience—employer–and desired goals.”

As an up and comer into a chosen field, creating a name for oneself and establishing multiple relationships is vital and can make or break a profession before it even begins. Being outgoing is helpful, but not necessarily a requirement. What is necessary is the knowledge obtained throughout one’s undergraduate years. A student should not waste these crucial years, but instead take advantage of everything at their disposal. While in school, students should consider themselves as apprentices in training for their given carrier. Train hard, absorb as much knowledge as possible, and make the time count by attending every event available pertaining to their given major.

Perseverance is key to success in all aspects of life. In relation to post-graduation job hunting, Professor Chari, adjunct professor and designer at Disney-Hyperion, gave advice on the subject, “be focused yet open-minded in your career search. Actively seek out opportunities of interest, but also talk to as many people as possible to identify opportunities you hadn't considered. At the end of the day, go with your gut. And don't forget to send those thank you notes to potential employers and networking contacts.”