As one-by-one, the college seniors and new grads I am working with on their career launches land
their internships and first “real” jobs, for some, it has been a year or more in the making, having been
impacted by the lack of internships during the pandemic. For others, they have landed remarkably
quickly and have start dates planned.
As I reflect on the commonalities between them all that makes them so successful, I am happy to
share what I see that may help others still waiting for their big break.
Spoiler alert: there is no secret to their success. Their strategies work for everyone!
Here they are:
☑ Coachability – they want to succeed, know they don’t have all the answers, and are willing to
listen, reflect, and put in the work to achieve their goals.
☑ Pushing themselves outside their comfort zone. They reach out to people they don’t know, ask
targeted questions, and take actions that they would not have done just several months ago.
☑ Narrowing down their search to what they really want in an internship or job, vs taking the well meaning advice of others that encourage them to “just take something and get some experience.”
Experience that does not support your career goal makes no sense and often times, people are
reluctant to help when they are not clear about what you want. Help them help you.
☑ Gratitude – they are profoundly grateful when someone helps them out or recommends an
action to take and openly express their thankfulness.
☑ Willingness to think and do things differently than everyone else is doing to set themselves apart
from their competition.
☑ Readiness to serve others – they recognize serving opens up doors to new opportunities.
☑ Sense of urgency – they jump on a job posting or in responding to someone that is willing to
speak with them and don’t make excuses for why they are too busy to do it.
When presenting to groups about job search strategies and I share this list, the most common
question I receive is about the serving bullet point. I am asked what it really means and how a
new graduate or someone without a job can add value to another.
Great question!
Service to others does not have to be complicated, and regardless of our age, we all have much
value to offer someone at a different stage in life than our own.
believe in to help increase the posting’s reach. On social media they can promote someone that has
been instrumental in their academic career or that made a difference to them on a personal level
(scout leader, high school teacher, mentor). They can buy a raffle ticket from a nonprofit organization
to support their fundraising activities or pay their success forward and help an underclassman in
need of guidance and support. The list just starts there!
Success looks different to everyone: a higher salary, ability to work remotely or travel internationally,
an executive title, or creative latitude within a job.
The key to achieving the success you seek is to break down the paradigms or beliefs that are holding
you back from experiencing your dreams of success. Stay open, stay flexible, and stay strong, just
don’t stay where you are if you want more. Do it today!
Want more great tips? https://www.inspirecareers.com/in-the-media/ for recent career-related information I’ve shared on numerous podcasts, television outlets, and radio shows.
Visit the Inspire Careers YouTube channel to enjoy short bursts of content I share through video https://www.inspirecareers.com/inspire-careers-youtube-channel/ and don’t forget to subscribe to be notified when new content is added.
#newgradsuccess #careercoaching #success #internships