As I say, the time when you should be paying the most attention to your personal brand is in college. During college you are given the most amount of choices and the highest degree of education before you enter “the real world.” Choices, such as what major and minor you want to enlist in, as well as what extra ciricullar activities you want to participate in, internships to apply for and an overarching career path. College is a time when brand discovery is essential and that initial investment will pay off in the long run.
Students have very little support, aside from a few counselors, family members and friends. Classroom experiences cannot mimic what a day on the job is, but rather train your mind to think critically and strategically. There are no classes that are built for preparing students for what awaits them. They say that college prepares you for the rest of your life, but in my opinion, it doesn’t unless you make it. You need to take college for all that it is and soak up as much knowledge as you can in 2-4 years, as well as create a network.
This all leads me to Lindsey Pollak (soon be be married), who is a wonderful woman (that blogs), that sent me a copy of her book recently. I get a lot of books in the mail by authors, but have very little time to give them the review they deserve. I do enjoy books and will always find them valuable, even though eBooks and blogs are taking over (I’m writing a book as well). Before I get into one of my rants, I would like to say that Lindsey’s new book “Getting from College to Career” is perfect for students, who are clueless about their careers and have listened to too much “typical advice.”
Aside from her 2 other books, this one is clearly special. For one it is published by one of the most acclaimed publishers (Harper Collins). Also, there are worksheets, tips and resources in the book that are both helpful and informative.
Here are some of her tips (out of 90 tips!!!!)
- Associate: It doesn’t matter what your career is because their are associations to support you and introduce you to new people.
- Intern Early and Often: Internships build your resume, business sense, contacts, and industry knowledge.
- Minor: You have the opportunity to take courses outside of your major and it’s smart to learn about subjects that may position you for an easier job search.
- Relax: Your first job isn’t the only one you will ever have, so don’t marry it.
- Get Carded: Being a student is no excuse not to have a business card.
- Seek a Mentor: “How can you turn a hero into a real career adviser? Cultivate a mentor.”
- Follow Every Rainbow: Go to job fairs, search newspaper ads, classifieds, get a referall from your teacher, and use your network.
Want more? Pickup her book today on Amazon.com. I highly recommend it and the fact that I took time to read part of it really means it’s something special and important for college students. If your not a college student, most of the same principles apply anyways.
Have a great weekend everyone!
