When I first start working with a college student, new or recent grad I ask his or her most dreaded question, “tell me about yourself.” Biology, engineering, accounting or sociology the answers are always the same, “I’m a (fill-in the blank) major at such and such university.” Did I learn anything about you that isn’t on your resumé? From an employer’s perspective, what does that response tell them about what you bring to the position and the company? Nothing. That’s because you are talking about your college major not your skills. What’s the difference?

A college major is a group of courses required by a college in order to receive a degree –– an area you specialize in. Colleges assert— I am quoting from several college websites—choosing your major is an important life decision because your major affects your college success and happiness, your future career, who you associate with during and after graduation, and how you see yourself and the world around you. Think about those claims. I’m calling BULLSHIT!

Ah, now a skill is something you are able to do and do well. Some skills, I think of as abilities that are for the most part inherited. For example, having a penchant for math or having a beautiful singing voice. However, many skills are learned. Skills are goal-directed because having a skill can allow you to attain a higher level of performance. Skills connect to a particular job. The engineering major who gets a job offer at one of the most highly regarded business strategy consulting firm is hired because of the skills learned through his major not because of his major. The library science major working at the global technology company is there because of the skills acquired through her degree not because of her degree. Your skills are why you are hired.

Could you choose a major based on your abilities? Yes. Could you choose your major because of the skills you will acquire that will make you marketable to employers? Yes.

I work with college students long after they have selected their majors when they are starting to figure out what they want to do and what the value of their major is in the job market. Together we focus on their abilities, the skills they acquired through their majors and how these apply to careers and employers.

You’re a biology major. For you, it helps to explain how things work after all; biology is the study of life. That’s pretty cool! However, you don’t want to go on to med school. Where do you go from here? I don’t know much about biology but I do know skills.

Research skills ▪ Advanced mathematics ▪ Critical reasoning, analytical and evaluation skills ▪ Ability to handle and analyze complex data ▪ Written and oral communication skills ▪ Time management and organization ▪ Monitoring and recording

This range of skills is transferable to a variety of roles and worplaces and therefore, of interest to a wide range of employers. There are a huge range of options available.

***Brainspasm: Non-medical careers for biology majors based on skills***
Financial Analyst ▪ Business Development ▪ Project Management ▪ Sales ▪ Attorney

That was fun. How about anthropology.

Active listening ▪ Observation ▪ Research ▪ Interviewing ▪ Analyzing organizational structures and processes ▪ Communicating effectively with individuals in other cultures ▪ Critical thinking

***Brainspasm: Careers for anthropology majors based on skills***
Market research ▪ Human resources ▪ Cultural resource management ▪ Forensic Organizational development

I think you get the point. Employers interview to uncover your skills not your major. So, when I ask you, tell me about yourself, your answer is.....

In Your First Professional Job You Can Have a Meltdown or Learn to Manage Your Transition

Dara started her job with a consulting firm within a month of graduation. Excited she dove into the work. Her first engagement required the team to be on the ground at the client’s office on Mondays by 9:00 am. Dara and the team worked until 8:00 pm most days and on Thursday night, each caught the last flight back to their respective cities. Friday started with an 8:00 am team conference call and on Sunday, she was back on a flight. Dara called me about two months into her job. The work was interesting but she felt she had lost control of her life.

My heart ached for Dara. She worked so hard to land her dream job.

Ready or not, we all go through numerous transitions in our lives—leaving high school to go to college, college to go to work, changing jobs, getting married, having children. These become those periods of emotional spaces where we have cut ties with what we know and have not quite settled into what is new. Some, by choice or opportunity; others, like Dara’s come from natural ends—graduating from college, and still others are unwillingly imposed on us such as an uninitiated breakup in a relationship. Whatever the circumstances, navigating this grey zone of transitions can be difficult, presenting us with new problems and demanding us to respond in new ways.

Here’s what I’ve learned from clients about this transition period.

Admit that you’re in a transition. One of the surest ways to make your transition harder is to avoid acknowledging that you’re in one. Transition is a "passage from one form, state, style, or place to another." By naming it, you actually make it a "state" that you’re in rather than “being.” By naming that you are in a transition, you will be open to the fact that not knowing what’s ahead is a natural part of this state. It’s very likely you friends are feeling the same way, support each other through this transition.

Expect your schedule to change. Dara likes the work she is doing and the people she is working with, but traveling is grueling and working eight or more hours each day takes some getting used to. Don't expect to be able to go out with friends several nights during the week like you did in college. From my own experience, I know how hard it is to learn to turn work off, but doing so is essential to staying in control of your life.

Expect to feel depressed and anxious. You just spent four years developing friendships. You started school together, depended on each other, lived through dramas together and now you’ve all moved to other cities in pursuit of careers. These are important relationships you’re leaving behind. Acknowledge you’re experiencing a loss, and that loss is a major change in life. Whenever you move forward you leave something behind, and this creates what psychologists call a state of grief. When you are out of our comfort zone your imagination runs wild and you worry about an unknown future.

Realize this is both a new and old chapter in your life. While you need to acknowledge your loss, you don’t want to get stuck in the past. Acknowledging that a door is closed is healthy; spending your time staring at it is not.

Yes, this is a cliché, but the next step after an end is a new beginning, a new chapter, and keeping this in mind can give you a sense of a fresh start. Although the particular circumstances are new, the process itself is familiar. You have made transitions before. Try to remember what it felt like starting college. You know the terrain; you’ve acquired experience and skills along the way. You can do this again.

Have realistic timeframes and expectations.  Although she knew what percent of travel to expect, there are going to be days when Dara is going to think she never should have taken the job. This is a natural reflection of her state of mind. She needs to be patient, realize that it may take her a year to feel confident in her job, months to begin to make new friends.

There’s a new reality of time. Jack is another client I’ve recently heard from. He was very adept at planning his college schedule so that in four years he never had a class before 10:00 am. He was having a hard time facing the reality of going to work every day, five days a week, from as early as 6 or 7 in the morning to 6 or 7 in the evening. It’s not like the 8 a.m. class that you often skipped. Show up late one too many times and you'll find yourself unemployed.

Another time-related reality is free time and vacation time. In college, you get used to taking long winter and summer breaks. Most colleges also have mid-semester breaks. Unfortunately, most employers are not that generous with time off. You may be lucky to get two weeks of vacation in your first job but even with those two weeks, because you are one of the newest employees, you may not have much choice as to when you can take your vacation.

The final time factor is time management. Clients who are Division I student athletes have learned to manage their time because of the demands playing sports puts on them. Not all students learn this in college and if you had a hard time managing projects and other activities, you will struggle to manage your time once working. As a client said, “College didn’t teach me working 40+ hours a week.”

You don't have to plan every part of your day down to the minute, but creating a loose structure for your week will make you feel organized and maybe even more at peace. When Dara mapped it out— work, chores, exercise (she training for a triathlon,) time with friends, down time—she suddenly had time for everything she needed and wanted to do. The human brain is wired for routine.

Acting unprofessional in the workplace has consequences. A certain amount of college is a rite of passage, a time to try different things, to be a little crazy or irresponsible. In college, acting unprofessionally might result in a bad grade or a lecture from a professor. In the workplace, acting unprofessionally can get you fired. I advise clients that in their first year learning the company’s culture, and how to operate within it is a priority.

There are somethings you just have to figure out or experience on your own. When Sam started his job, he felt he needed to have all the answers. Talking with him it was clear from how he described his manager’s behavior that the pressure he felt was self-imposed. There are some things that you just have to figure out or experience on your own. When you first start out you will never have all the answers. You should always have the drive to seek out new knowledge and learn from your mistakes.

Believe me when I say that one of the most overwhelming issues you will face as a new professional is that college did not prepare you for many of the challenges you will face as you make the transition from college to career. Your future is unpredictable and most of the time you’ll feel that you have no idea what we're doing. Making things up as you go along as you go along is how we all function in the real world. This realization can hit recent college graduates and new professionals hard.

While the first year out of college may be one of the most exciting of your life, it can also come with its fair share of anxiety and uncertainty. You’re in a transition period.

As a new professional, learning how to be one is your first task. You want to get noticed for the all the right reasons. You want to differentiate yourself from your peers in the appropriate way. You want to be effective at what you do.

Now is the time for you to show your value and fit to your new employer. You want to be seen as an asset; the new hire they want to keep and mentor. There are things you can do in your first year to ensure your employer knows and values you and your work. Here's a checklist you can use.

 

Learning the company and the business.

You have a big learning curve ahead of you. People who ask questions and really seek to understand the business and where they fit in, end up being the best employees. The employees who wait for all the information to come to them are going to be average, at best.
[  ]   I’m developing an understanding how the work I do fits with the mission and goals of the company.
[  ]   I have a sense of my direction within the company. I know what I need to do to make the next step happen for me.

 

Look for opportunities to fit in.

Everyone's workplace is a little different, but we all face the same set of challenges at a new job. Integrating yourself into the company culture is a lot harder than you think. It's important to build rapport, trust, and camaraderie with your new co-workers. Look for opportunities to get to know your new work community.
[  ]  I’m learning how things work in my team, group, division and company.
[  ]  I’m learning the codes and rules to abide by in the workplace.
[  ]  I’m making an effort to meet as many people as I can around the company. I have a list of people I want to meet. I have set up lunch dates. I have workplace friends.

 

Get to know the management.

Learning how management works might be your first priority when you start your job. Your success will likely depend on it.
[  ]  I’m learning how the manager and my immediate supervisor want things done.
[  ]  I understand the communication hierarchy.

 

Plan for your development.

As with all efforts, you must be clear about your direction. You don’t take a road trip without knowing where you want to end up. Develop a plan for your first few years and stick to it. Then look to the longer term.
[  ]   I met with my manager and know what is expected of me.
[  ]   I have measurable performance goals and systems are in place to measure my progress.
[  ]  I set up a way to track my accomplishments. Record your accomplishments in this way. What was the task I was asked to perform/problem to solve/situation to handle? What action(s) did I take? What was the result(s)?

 

Master skills.

Mastering skills is not optional in today's business environment. In a fast-moving, competitive world, being able to develop and learn new skills is one of the keys to success. It's not enough to be smart—you need to always be getting smarter.
[  ]  I know what my skills are and what skills I need to develop to move forward.
[  ]  I have a plan to gain the experience I need.
[  ]  I have someone who can give me feedback on my development.

Read more…Getting It Right From Day One.

Success is an Iceberg. In Your Job Search Reveal What Is Below the Surface.

I was thinking about icebergs the other day. Perhaps because it was over 90, I had just completed 20,000 steps and would have killed for an Italian ice (which would have defeated the purpose of walking those 20,000 steps.) Italian ice became snow cone that became iceberg that led to icebergs—what a great way to visualize a job search.

Here’s an iceberg fact to start out. Typically, only one-tenth of the volume of an iceberg is above water. The shape and size of the underwater portion, the most critical thing to know about an iceberg, can be difficult to judge by looking at the portion above the surface. Well, that pretty much describes a job search. Your accomplishments, what employers see through your resumé, LinkedIn Profile page and other marketing tools and social media, is about one-tenth of who you are. What they don’t see is the most important part; who you really are, your authentic self.

What’s below the surface.
Think about it. The 90% of the iceberg that is below the surface, the things an employer can’t see are why you’re hired. You’re not hired because of your resumé. You’re hired because you let an employer see your skills, will and fit.

• You know what you’re good at, and what you’re not good at and how that fits with the position and within the organization.
• You’re able to envision the needs of the organization and able to tailor your interview to speak directly to your value.
• You prove that you bring energy, drive and curiosity, to everything you do.

Beautiful ice sculptures.
I get I’m carrying the iceberg analogy a bit far; one more point. A few years back my family took a cruise to Alaska. Lots of oohs and aahs when seeing glaciers for the first time.

Here’s another iceberg fact. As glaciers creep over land, meltwater fills the crevasses and later freezes. The combination of ice and air bubbles causes sunlight shining on the icebergs to refract, coloring the ice spectacular shades of blue, green, and white. Color may also indicate age; blue icebergs are old, and green ones contain algae and are young. Icebergs come in a variety of shapes and sizes, some long and flat, others towering and massive. Really, they are beautiful and each unique.

The point is let an employer see what has driven your success by being personable, sharing information about yourself and turning the interview into a conversation.

• People hire people they like.
• Give honest and sincere answers. It’s great you can find answers to interview questions but the responses are generic at best. Develop responses that show who you are.
• Become genuinely interested in the interviewer, recruiter or hiring manager. Ask questions.

Iceberg Strong.
I can’t help myself. The last iceberg fact. Icebergs are about 10% as strong as concrete. This may not seem very hard, but it's a lot harder than ice your make in your freezer. A ship (the employer) colliding with an iceberg (that’s you) almost certainly means disaster due to the enormous momentum involved and potentially massive contact region. The ice can literally generate hundreds of tons of force on a ship's hull, causing it to buckle, dent, crumple, and even get you hired.

Buzzwords or Keywords? You Decide.

Here’s the headline from an article in Fast Company featuring Catherine Fisher, senior director of corporate communications for LinkedIn, The 10 Words You Should Never Use In Your LinkedIn Profile. Sure, you may be motivated, passionate, and creative, but these buzzwords just make you sound like everyone else. Ms. Fisher lists the LinkedIn Top Ten Global Buzzwords for 2014. The list includes:

▪ Motivated ▪ Passionate ▪ Creative ▪ Driven ▪ Extensive experience ▪ Responsible     ▪ Strategic ▪ Track record ▪ Organizational ▪ Expert

I agree. These are overused words. I’ll even admit I’ve used one or two of the above words when writing a LinkedIn headline and/or summary. But, I wonder, why are resumes and LinkedIn Profile pages loaded with these words? Are these buzzwords or keywords? What’s driving the overuse of these words?

My hypothesis is this. Employers aided by technology (ATS) have made the key words and phrases a job-seeker would use to describe him/herself and his/her value to an employer into buzzwords.

Whoa, can I prove it? I think so.

Employer Job Descriptions
A good place to look to prove the hypothesis that employer job descriptions are at fault for the keyword/buzzword resumé and LinkedIn Profile page, of course is LinkedIn’s job posting. That’s where the buzzword list came from so let’s see.
I searched five distinct business sectors, three job titles—entry-level, mid-manager and senior/executive level in each sector, and three employers in each of the sectors. Keeping in character with the LinkedIn Top Ten Global Buzzwords list, I noted from the job descriptions, what LinkedIn considers a resumé and profile buzzword and the frequency that the word appeared.
The top ten buzzwords used by the employers I surveyed include—that’s right—almost the same words LinkedIn included on its resumé and profile list. Hmmmm.

▪ Motivated ▪ Proactive ▪ Expert ▪ Collaborative ▪ Strategic ▪ Exceptional experience  ▪ Responsible ▪ Strategic ▪ Proficient ▪ Organizational

Self-motivated/self-starter were also overused in job descriptions.

Applicant Tracking Systems
I’m so over writing about applicant tracking systems/software (ATS.) However, I’ll do it one more time because it’s important to see if ATS contributes to the buzzword or keyword hypothesis.

Briefly, ATS, of which there are many, all do the same thing. The software parses the information in the resumes submitted, pulling them apart and placing information in specific fields within the ATS database, such as work experience, education, and contact data. The system then analyzes the extracted information for criteria relevant to the position being filled, such as number of years of experience or particular skills. Then, it assigns each resumé a score, giving the candidate a ranking compared to other applicants so recruiters and hiring managers can identify candidates who are the best fit for the job. LinkedIn’s software does essentially the same thing.

Good idea. Use technology to assist recruiters and hiring managers to find the best-fit candidates. But, then there comes the criteria which is determined and inputted into the software by recruiters, the talent acquisition team and hiring managers.

What are criteria? Nothing more than keywords. Your resumé and LinkedIn Profile page need to match the keywords inputted into the ATS.

• Appearance of a keyword or phrase that can be measured by its presence in the document, as well as the number of times the keyword or phrase appears.
• Relevance of the keyword within context. (Does the keyword or phrase appear with other keywords you would expect?)
• The higher the resume ranking, the more likely the application will end up being reviewed by a human reader.

Aha! In order for your resumé and LinkedIn Profile page to be read by a person, both need to be loaded with keywords. It’s the only way to get yourself high enough up in the ranking. So, the ATS has reduced you to the sum of your keywords or rather the right keywords according what the employer thinks are the right keywords.

Keyword or buzzword?
Every job-seeker is looking to describe who they are, but they likely learned the hard way this needs to be done in context with the job description and the ATS. That means using keywords and phrases. Ms. Fischer says, “I would stay away from these buzzwords, though, because you sound like everyone else. These words almost lose their meaning the more that people use them." You bet they do. Ms. Fisher, if you don't use them, you're rejected in a nanosecond. (Okay, I'll stop you right here. Getting your resumé into a company's database is just one tactic in your job search strategy.)

My intention is not to pick on Ms. Fischer; she’s just reporting findings. If the job description says motivated, creative and passionate or motivated, collaborative and strategic or any combination of keywords, and you don’t use them in your resumé and on LinkedIn Profile page you’re committing job search suicide.

So, are words like motivated, track record, strategic, collaborative buzzwords or are these keywords used by employers and therefore needed to get your resumé or LinkedIn Profile page read by a human? You decide.

Branding With Keywords or Buzzwords Not a Sound Strategy
Regardless of where you fall in the keyword or buzzword camp, you are so much more than these strung together words and phrases. Ms. Fischer is correct. Anybody could say this stuff about himself or herself. The human reader of your resumé and LinkedIn Profile page will have no sense of you, the person behind the jargon.

You have a unique story to tell and need to find the best way and the appropriate words to tell it. Your best-fit employer knows how to see the value you bring without reading keywords or buzzwords.

To all my clients, who on Monday, June 1st, are starting their first jobs or internships. What you achieved had nothing to do with luck and everything to do with what you created for yourself.

When you went to college, did you have an idea what you wanted to do for a career? This is probably one of the more frequently asked questions of business leaders, creative gurus, entrepreneurs, politicians—just about any professional. The answer, not surprisingly, is not really. Like you, their hope when they started out was to just get a good job and do meaningful work.

I read a lot about how people got their start to help college students launch their careers and because it interests me. I read for ideas, patterns, and models, anything I can use as examples on how to transition from college to a career. Rarely do people use the word luck. Sometimes these leaders talk about being in the right place at the right time but most often, they say they achieved success because of a purposeful action. Taking action can be as simple as accepting an offer for a job you don't know exactly what it might be but know that if you take it, other possibilities will appear. They often do.

I think the value at work here is this. There will always be opportunities for those who recognize and pursue them. The so-called lucky people are simply those who have taken more chances than average.

Action that creates opportunity is not random. You need a strategy for taking action and seizing opportunities that consistently demonstrates your talent, and as you progress, your passion for and commitment to your career. Stick with your plan, and you'll reap rewards in your job search and career.

Creating action begins with learning where to find opportunities.

You must push yourself beyond your comfort zone to seize on an opportunity, and opportunities are everywhere. You might have to move to Bentonville, Arkansas for a year or two, away from family and friends because the opportunity is ripe with future possibilities that will not be available to you if you don’t. You might have to take what seems like a less-than-ideal position for less money than your friends are making, but you do it with a company that’s a good fit and in less than a year move out of the position into one you created because you saw a niche and made the pitch. It’s even possible that where you live, full-time teaching positions are not available. Substitute teaching for a school district that has no near-term plans to hire might seem ill advised but that’s not true. As a sub, you’re gaining experience, developing skills and a reputation (references) that you leverage to secure a full-time position in a fast-growing, culturally diverse community.

When you start out, it’s essential for your growth to be adaptable. Be curious. Be hungry to experience and learn skills. In each of the above real-life examples, these new professionals took charge of their actions and careers.

Succeed with the right mindset.

These three clients all started their job search with the right mindset. It was not an easy decision for an east coast guy to move to Bentonville, Arkansas right out of college. Ultimately, the decision was based on self-knowledge. He understood his values, skills, strengths, weaknesses and passion—this is Walmart and this guy lives and breathes supply chain.

I really admire my client who created her own position within the company she was working for over the past year. She was under a lot pressure not take a job her peers viewed beneath her skills. She went into it saying I’m going take initiative and show the company what I have to offer. She surprised everyone when she created her ideal position and the company said, you bet. Good things happen when you stay open and flexible.

Throughout her five years as a substitute teacher, this client remained resilient. Never did she abandon her resolve and take-action spirit. She developed her skills earning a fantastic reputation among her teaching peers and school administrators. She also showed a lot of courage and spirit of adventure. For her new full-time teaching position she is moving 2,200 miles from family and friends. There’s another important lesson in her story: success is rarely immediate.

Make a commitment to self-educate.

What I learned from reading about people we consider successful, is that at the heart of taking action to create opportunities is a desire to learn—a mindset that stays fluid and facilitates personal growth. Those who are willing to open their minds and augment their skill set are those who will be poised to succeed in the future.

As you start your first professional job or internship, make a commitment to yourself to learn. Your boss is responsible for your training and to some extent your development not educating you. That’s your job. It’s easy once you have a job to enter a sort of tunnel vision that can lead to stagnation. Complacency does not lead to success. Learn every aspect of the company—ask questions, attend meetings and conferences, build your professional network. Get to know people in and out of your department, division and/or office, in the various roles that keep the company operational. Read books, articles anything that challenges you to think deeply about what you do and who you are.

It's okay not knowing what you want to do. Stay open, flexible, curious, and resilient. Bet on yourself—take chances.  You will find ways to create action and find your opportunities.

 

Your First Job Out of College Doesn’t Matter All that Much.

Your first job out of college doesn't matter all that much. Learn from the experience.That’s the advice Lori Dickerson Fouché of Prudential Group Insurance gave in a recent interview with Adam Bryant whose column Corner Office appears in the New York Times.  I agree. My advice to college students is this: Your first professional job after graduation, more often than not, has one purpose which is to get you the second job—the job you really want. Your first job will put you in touch with your working self, learning more about your abilities—strengths, weaknesses and values. Your first job is supposed to set you on your way. Use the information you gain as your compass.

The job search for graduating seniors and recent grads looks too much like the college admission process.

The aftereffect from those graduating during the recession when unemployment and underemployment among recent grads was high, has made the first job search for today’s grads stressful and for some a terrifying experience not unlike college admissions.Why is that? For starters, too many students I work with begin their job searches with unrealistic expectations of what is available to them not because of where they went to school, their major or GPA. As it turns out, those are not factors that determine success. Instead it’s because of the experience they will likely have in the job and/or company. New York Times bestselling author Frank Bruni in his book Where You Go Is Not Who You'll Be, profiles a number of successful people who say not getting into an Ivy and instead going somewhere else, provided them with the confidence and skill building experience they likely would not have received had they attended any one of the Ivy schools.The same is true in the workplace. For some, working at Apple might be the ideal but not be the best place for them to launch a career.

Also similar to college admissions, there's a lot of outside influences at play. As a parent of a student told me, "Goldman doesn't recruit from my son's school. He'll never get a job there. We never should have let him pick the school he wanted to go to." Its true, he might not ever work at Goldman Sachs but it isn't because of the school. It's because when I talked with him it wasn't his ideal. Listening to students talk about the jobs they want I hear are a lot of shoulds. Shoulds are about obligation, habit, and other people's expectations. Shoulds put too much pressure on you, and frankly the job and the company. From my own experience and those of students I work with, shoulds are not criteria for strong decision-making.

An important thing to remember as you job search is this: You didn’t die when rejected from the school you had set your sights on, and your career, which has not even started certainly does not end when you don’t get the job at Goldman Sachs, McKinsey, Leo Burnett, Apple, Google or Amazon. However, your experience from your first job gives you a better shot at those companies. On the other hand, you also do not want to take the approach of I just need a job. Just any job won’t give you the experience you need; you’ll probably end up having a number of first jobs, and will never get the opportunity to explain why because employers will see you as a job hopper. A recent grad who took this approach is looking for this fourth job in less than two and half years. Although he now knows from his experience what he wants to do and the value he offers, he is struggling to get interviews. Another client who also didn’t know what she wanted to do, found a first job in which she was able to utilize many of her abilities and build up her job search confidence. It’s been exactly a year and she now has a very clear vision of what she wants to do and has experience to make it happen. Her experience finding the job she wants has been very different.

Your first job does not define you. Your experience and the decisions you make do.

Like Bruni’s assertion about colleges in Where You Go Is Not Who You’ll Be, your first job does not define you. What you take away from the job and do with the experience does, however. Go find something you want to do, and even if it’s not your ideal, learn whatever you can from the experience and then leverage all of it to get the job you want—your second job.
You’re building a career, one job, one experience and one accomplishment at a time. Careers that thrive and are of great value in the marketplace are those in which each step along the way builds on the previous experience, equipping you for greater success in the future. Strong careers are built by the decisions you make.
 
It’s more important you find a company that is a right fit for what’s important to you and your values. Fit is linked to an organization’s culture—the values, beliefs and behaviors of its individuals and groups. Fit is how work get done. The right fit gives you experience that employers look for, and the learning you need to make decisions about your career as you go forward.

Experience is your goal with the first job.

When experience and fit, not brand name is your goal, there are planning questions and decision questions to ask to help you find a first job you will be able to leverage to land the job you really want. Start your job search planning by asking the following questions.

• What are my abilities? What am I not good at doing?
•  What are my greatest interests?
• What types of experience am I looking for the job and the company to provide me?
•  What are my personal and professional goals?

 The answers to these questions help you develop your job and company decision criteria and checklist.

•  Does this job leverage my abilities? Is there an opportunity to excel?
•  Is the work, industry or product/service interesting to me?
• Does this job and company provide me the experience I need to build on and develop new skills? Will I have measurable accomplishments?
• Does this job help me accomplish my personal and professional goals?

Finding your first job takes work. Your first job will be hard mostly because you are transitioning from college student to new professional. However, as with most things, you get out what you put in. There’s no reason you can’t make your first job experience a positive one even if it isn’t your dream job. In fact, it shouldn’t be. Use it as a great learning experience so you can truly figure out what drives you.