Always get to work on time, always carry a note pad and a pen, dress nicely and treat the secretary just as you would the CEO – all great tips. But since jobs don’t come with a lifetime guarantee or a promise of 100% fulfillment, students need to learn much more about success after they land a job than they do to get a job in the first place.
Keep Up the Energy
If your students think finding their first full-time job within six months after graduation is tough, let’s hope they never have to search for a job six years after graduation. Between a slow moving economy and an increase in contract-only jobs, they’ll need to learn to keep up the energy and develop tough skin for continuous interviews throughout their career – whether it’s to replace a stagnant position, enhance their skills within an industry or move up the ladder of success. The motivation students have to get a job is the same motivation they need to sustain after they land a job.
Continue Your Education
If your students think learning is over after graduation, we need to redirect their focus! Continuing education is a key factor in continued success in the workforce as well as an essential element to industry news and breakthroughs. If your student doesn’t find continuing education within their benefit package, show them how to access courses on their own – many free webinars and training sessions can be found within professional networking organizations.
Keep Planning for the Future
It’s important for students to map out a five- or ten-year career plan prior to graduating in order to have a guide through their career. While helping them create one in only half the battle, you must be sure teach students how to update, expand and evaluate their plans in a way that can benefit them throughout the decades.
Enhance Your Net Worth & Network
Unlike student GPA regulations at a college, employees must continuously bring value to a company and be able to improve their worth over the length of their tenure. Students must be prepared to analytically determine and enhance their worth as soon as they begin their new job tasks. This planning can be practiced by building a network of industry professionals, listing contributions, continuing education and experience or affiliations outside of the organization that are in addition to what’s listed on their job description. These skills will also allow for successful year-end evaluations because while success can be personal, it’s actually company-wide.
With more competition to succeed than ever, students must continually maintain the same, or enhance their motivation and passion to building a career after they land their first dream job. Prepare your students to continuously strive for more experience, education, success and a talent to contribute in more ways than one for the best career experience.
