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In 2014, college grads must take initiative and go after what they want. As you grow up, landing a job is something that sounds like a robotic process. Sometimes our parents and our teachers make it sound like we will just be plucked from college and plugged into the job that’s right for us. We’ve learned over time that the world doesn’t operate like that – especially in this economy.
No matter what field we go into – we must fight for it. We must fight to get the recruiter’s attention, we must fight through the internship, and we must ultimately – fight for the job. In 2014, if you don’t take initiative – you lose the race – you get stomped on by your peers. In 2014, college grads must realize that they aren’t going to get discovered in the super market, that if they want to pursue their dreams there is only one way to do so – and that’s by taking initiative.
Taking initiative means lots of things – being prepared, being focused, and stepping outside of your comfort zone to go after what you want. Taking initiative means starting the process, putting yourself in the right rooms in front of the right people, and taking the necessary steps to start going after what you want.
If young grads want to land jobs – they must take initiative. If they want to get promoted within their jobs – they must take initiative. After college, when the job-hunting process begins they will be faced with rejection – more rejection than they’ve ever experienced. And when they get rejected they need to be ready to fight it – to take initiative and put their name back in the ring for other opportunities.
This generation is going to do big things, but it all starts with taking initiative. Here are a few quick tips on how to make sure you are taking initiative whenever possible:
Don’t be afraid to tell people what you want to do. Set informational interviews with people you admire. Connect with people on LinkedIn who went to your college and who work at your dream company. Always be proactive. Think to yourself, “What can I do today to perfect my job search?” Don’t let rejection get you down. Try to look at every rejection as a necessary step in the process of getting to where you want to be. Challenge yourself to attend at least two networking events per month. Remember, your job is to get a job. Don’t stop until you do!
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This article was written by Lauren Berger, CEO & Founder of InternQueen.com, on behalf of the Happy Grad Project.
Photo Credit: Shutterstock
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