3 Pieces of Career Advice All College Students Need

June 23, 2016

Calling all college students! This is such an exciting time in your life. You’re preparing for your future and figuring out what career path you want to pursue. Part of that process is making sure you’re ready when you graduate. The reality is, that can be pretty tricky. Even the tiniest decisions can have huge impacts on your entire career. That’s why you should check out these tips before you graduate to help improve your chances at a successful career.

Follow Your Dreams

By the time you get to college, you’ve probably already heard this one…but hear me out. It sounds cliché, but it’s legit. As Lifehack pointed out, people who pursue their dream jobs are much more happy and successful in their careers¹.

According to a survey by Gallup, just 13 percent of people said they feel engaged in their workplaces, compared to 63 percent who feel all but disconnected². One of the main reasons? People just aren’t doing the work they love or find all that interesting, according to Monster.com³. Use your passion when choosing a degree program and career path, and you’ll be that much closer to actually enjoying your career decision. Plus your career satisfaction and overall happiness impact other people too. According to a study published in the Canadian Medical Association Journal, happy people are much healthier, which means fewer sick days and more time helping your future coworkers in your dream job⁴!

Accept Failure

In a perfect world, everybody would accomplish every random task and lofty dream with no problem…but that’s just not reality. The truth is, you’re going to experience failure, and as Lifehack says, more people need to learn how to better cope with these setbacks¹.

Failure can actually be a good thing. It gives you a chance to reevaluate your priorities and see where you can make improvements. It took Thomas Edison 1,000 attempts to invent the light bulb, so sometimes you just have to keep trying ⁵. Edison had a great outlook, he once said, “I didn’t fail 1,000 times, the light bulb was an invention with 1,000 steps.” Failure can sometimes be the path to reaching your goal. If you walk into a situation, maybe a job interview for example, without the fear of failing, you’re more likely to perform better.

Experience Isn’t Everything

A lot of the time, recent college grads don’t apply for a job because they think they don’t have enough experience. But business insiders say on the job expertise isn’t always their top deciding factor.

A 2015 survey from recruitment firm CpL Resources found 96 percent of recruiters prefer a good attitude and positivity over actual know-how⁶. It doesn’t hurt to try! At the very least, you’ll come away with valuable job interview experience that’ll help prepare you for next time. You’re already on your way to your future career path. These tips will help you make smart choices along the way. This is only the beginning, and doing what you can to set yourself up for success now will help out big time in the long run.

¹ “The Most Powerful Career Advice That Every College Student Needs To Know,” Lifehacker. May 2012. http://www.lifehack.org/articles/work/the-most-powerful-career-advice-that-every-college-student-needs-know.html ²“Worldwide, 13% of Employees Are Engaged at Work,” Gallup. October 8, 2013. http://www.gallup.com/poll/165269/worldwide-employees-engaged-work.aspx ³“5 Reasons We Love (Or Hate!) Our Jobs,” Monster.com. December 2012. http://managerlink.monster.com/training-leadership/articles/23-5-reasons-we-love-or-hate-our-jobs ⁴“Enjoyment of life and declining physical function at older ages: a longitudinal cohort study,” Canadian Medical Association Journal. January 10, 2014. http://www.cmaj.ca/content/early/2014/01/20/cmaj.131155 ⁵“Why Failure Is Good for Success,” Success Magazine. September 13, 2010. http://www.success.com/article/why-failure-is-good-for-success ⁶ “Attitude trumps skills for 96% of Employers,” CpL Resources. October 9, 2015. https://www.cpl.ie/News-And-Events/2015/October/Attitude-trumps-skills-for-96-of-Employers