They Don’t Teach Corporate in College

Getting Hired for the Right Job

Congratulations on finishing college. Don’t take any job you can get. Contemplate what you value most. “What type of work would make you want to sit in traffic for hours just for the privilege of showing up? What would you do even if you never got paid?” When do you work most effectively? What’s your preferred work environment? How do you define success? Where will you be 10 years from now? If you’re employed but unhappy, consider meeting with a career counselor or taking self-assessment tests, such as the Myers-Briggs Type Indicator.

Create a public and online “professional persona” that reflects your competence and integrity. Potential employers will check your social-media sites, so delete anything that detracts from your persona. Most jobs come by referral, so network to meet the people who make hiring decisions. Most managers spend five seconds or less reading a résumé, so put “power statements” on yours that specifically describe how you can affect the bottom line. Instead of, “Passed out free ice-cream-cone coupons at nearby shopping mall,” explain that you, “designed and distributed ‘Snack on Us’ coupons targeted to mall shoppers...