First Career: A Different Graduation Gift
Today’s college graduate is overloaded with “book smarts”. However, most graduates do not have the experiences needed to be successful in a career. As a matter of fact most graduates will have seven jobs before they reach their 27th birthday. There are many unwritten rules of the workplace that need to be learned in order to make an immediate impact to an organization.
Your campus career center is a valuable in-school tool and experience. First Career is designed to augment and enhance what you have already learned from working with your campus career service. The difference between our service and your career service center is that they can teach you how to swim. We will coach you how to swim in the Olympics.
In 2010, 24% of college students found positions after graduation, up from 19% the year before. This program is focused on differentiating you from your competition. It requires an investment of time, energy and money and may not be for everyone.
The First Career Program includes:
Your Assessment: Most universities and placement centers measure only personality or interests, which are short term focused.
The most predictive characteristics for determining job fit and success are how a person processes information. Liking something or having a certain personality is not enough – you need to be able to also do it well.
Components
• PersonalityHow will I do itHead
• InterestWill I like doing itHands
• Information ProcessingCan I do itHeart
• Motivational GiftsAm I called to do itFeel
Your Coach: A 24/7 accountability partner to help you take care of the little things so that the big things will take care of themselves.
Components
• Know where you are
• Know what you want
• Determine how you are going to get there
Your Presentation Expert
Because it’s not what you say, but how you say it; because most people are deathly afraid of speaking to people they don’t know; because 50% of all positions are not advertised and because confidence gives you the courage to extend your reach, we are offering an expert to help remove the fear from this process.
Components
• Identify your most engaging communication skills
• Develop your personal "brand" and market yourself
• Practice how to initiate and develop relevant contacts
• Capitalize on the contacts you make by converting those into productive relationships
Your LinkedIn Expert:
LinkedIn is the Facebook for professionals. It is how you are found and how you find others. It is also a mandatory component for any job search whether you are a college graduate or a college president.
Components
• Setting up your LinkedIn profile
• Making sure that your profile is front page news
• Building your business network
• Using LinkedIn to follow target companies and prepare for interviews
Please contact us should you wish to discuss program specifics, the investment or just general job search stuff. We offer a complimentary initial ‘triage’ session for both student and parent because you need to feel comfortable working with us and we need to feel the same. We believe in setting clear expectations at the beginning so we don’t have to explain anything later.
Please note: If you are viewing this program as an expense, don’t spend the money. This program should be viewed solely as an investment and its up to the graduate and us to demonstrate an acceptable return.
It's what you do now, when you don’t have to do anything that makes you what you want to be before it’s too late to do anything about it.