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7 things to do in final year of college to set yourself up for career success

We asked career experts what college seniors can do to prepare for their post-graduation job search. Check off these senior year to-dos to get ready for the competitive job market ahead. As a college senior in this day and age, you've got to contend with a whole new set of challenges. And that's in addition to whatever required courses you need to finish. But don’t lose sight of the end game: getting a job after graduation. To set yourself up for better job prospects, you need to create a plan for success during your senior year of college.

 



1. Clean up your social media profiles

Regardless of how great you look in that Instagram photo or how funny you think your tweet is, your future employer does not want to see pictures of you twerking at frat parties or read tweets about how you spent every lecture playing Animal Crossing—and yes, they will know.

2. Create a personal website or blog

Sharing a consistent output of professionally relevant work on social media channels will help show recruiters you’re a serious candidate. For Ryan Erskine, director of VIP client service at Brand Yourself, a New York City–based online reputation management company, this output stemmed from his website and blog.

3. Learn a new skill

For some credit-rich college seniors, your final year yields the opportunity to take fewer classes. While this might sound enticing, consider which new skills you could learn in a class you haven’t gotten the chance to take that would help you find a great first job.

4. Network as much as possible

There are many ways to network, and many valuable contacts to be made. From speaking with alumni to meeting with professors and family friends in the industry, networking is a time-tested way to get hired. For Kirk Hazlett, adjunct professor of communications at the University of Tampa, networking sparked his career.

5. Find a mentor

Finding a mentor senior year of college can not only help you find your first job, but it can also pay career dividends for years to come.

Not sure how to find a mentor? “Use your college's alumni network or mentor programs to identify professionals in the field(s) that interests you, and conduct informational interviews,” says Shireen Jaffer, co-founder and CEO of Edvo in the greater Los Angeles area. “These interviews will help you find the person you can trust and rely on for long-term professional guidance.”

6. Complete at least one internship

What’s the No. 1 way to know if a career path is right for you? Take it for a test drive. Internships are the perfect vessel for discerning whether or not you want to dive into a particular industry, and they’re an absolute must for college seniors, no matter your major.

7. Actually go to Career Services

Part of your tuition goes to funding your college’s career services center, so why not get your money’s worth and have professionals review your resume, conduct a mock interview, suggest internships, or take advantage of other valuable career services? Career services can also tell you about any virtual recruiting events that will be taking place that you should check out.


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