College graduation is just around the corner. Do you have a plan for after all the caps have been thrown? If your answer is no, you’re not alone! In fact, college graduation can be a bit of an ungrounded time. It’s can be tough to know what to do with yourself as one routine changes and another begins.
Luckily, we’ve been through it and will gladly share our wisdom. Here are some helpful pointers to keep you on-track, even when school’s out forever.
5 Post College Graduation Actions Worth Taking
Whether you’re starting a job in a few weeks, or considering heading abroad to travel, these five tips will keep you on-track in the meantime:
Step #1: Continue Getting Up Early
You absolutely deserve some R & R after college graduation, but there’s also value in keeping up your morning routine. With this in mind, continue getting an early start to your day (at least during the weekdays).
Even if you’re not going to class, getting up early will help you maintain a schedule so it’s not as tough to adjust when you eventually land that dream job.
Not sure what to do? Utilize early morning hours to…
- improve your skills and build capabilities
- get in shape and improve your wellness
- finally learn that second language
- volunteer
Step # 2. Professionally Edit Social Media
Guess what? It’s time to say goodbye to those college party pictures on your Facebook timeline. Today, social media is a crucial factor that employers use to determine your overall character.
For this reason, clean up your social media profiles to make them as professional as possible. You don’t have to remove all traces of your fun-loving or private self from your wall. However, consider removing anything that …
- causes you to seem unreliable
- indicate you would not work well with others
- could incriminate you
- is risqué or inappropriate for employers/co-workers
Pictures of you being affectionate with your significant other, having fun with friends, or beach attire photos are all acceptable, just as long as you’d have no issue with your future boss seeing them.
Once you’ve cleaned up, it’s time make your profiles more professional.
Here are a few tips for that:
- Keep your profile pictures consistent across all your social channels
- Change your tagging preferences – to approve pictures you’re tagged in before they appear on your profile
- Keep your handles consistent across all your social channels
- Add keywords to your social profiles to improve their SEO value
- Complete your bios – make them engaging and compelling
Step # 3. Refine Your Portfolio & Resume
Regardless of when you decide embark on your blossoming career, improving your resume and portfolio is non-negotiable. You’ll thank yourself later if you devote regular time to developing these documents. Think of your resume as your digital first impression, while your portfolio is the proof that you should be hired.
It pays off to pay some serious attention to your portfolio and resume. In our digital age, they’re the first thing potential employers will see. It will make a large impact on how they value your skills, and determine your suitability for their organization.
Tips For Your Resume
When it comes to your resume, getting some professional help is a great idea. Consider sitting down with a career coach.
Think of a career coach as your employment agent. They’ll help you become a more desirable candidate by…
- Identifying weak points in your resume
- Recommending advantageous skills
- Preparing you for the interview process
Tips For Your Portfolio
Even with a current employment status, you should constantly update your portfolio with your best work:
Showcase your digital portfolio on a website platform like Squarespace. It’s user-friendly interface offers:
- a series of pre-built templates
- a drag-and-drop website builder
- ease of completion in less than an hour
Step # 4. Update Your Professional Wardrobe
Interviews can come out of the blue, and when they do, you need to be prepared! By all means, take some time now to update your professional wardrobe. Many upscale retail stores have a discounted line as well. They offer outlet prices on must-have work essentials.
You can also head to your local mall or boutique and pick up a few staple pieces. Keep in mind that you don’t need break the bank to update your professional wardrobe. Instead, pick a few durable pieces (black pants, for example, or a structured blazer) that can mix and match with your existing wardrobe.
Ensure your clothes fit appropriately and are in great shape. Utilize a tailor to…
- Adjust pant, hem and sleeve lengths
- Reattach buttons
- Customize the fit of suits and dresses
- Add hook-and-eye closures between gaping buttons in a shirt
Steps # 5. Continue Building Skills
Just because college graduation is behind you doesn’t mean you can let your skills stagnate. Instead, take advantage of your downtime and build those skills!
How you do this, of course, will depend on what industry you want to pursue. As a general rule, post-graduation is a great time to look for relevant courses, classes, and reading. As you complete these pursuits and build your skills, add them to your LinkedIn profile to alert new employers about your competencies.
You can also look into volunteer work that will be relevant to your industry.
For example, if you’re looking to gain work as a therapist you could volunteer at…
- a youth home
- community empowerment organization
- refuge shelter
Not sure where to start building skills? Take some time to familiarize yourself with career resources and understand what will be most applicable to your industry.
Success After College Graduation
Succeeding after college graduation is a matter of staying productive in five easy steps. Follow these tips to keep yourself sharp, well-dressed, and on-schedule, even after classes let out. It’s well worth it to make the most of your time. Plus, you’re setting yourself up to land that dream job sooner than you might have expected!
