1. Create a personal brand for yourself; let potential employers and colleagues know what you’re good at and advocate for yourself by promoting those skills. Use LinkedIn as a tool to professionalize your image, join discussion groups with others that have similar interests and career goals, and use the job board that is especially geared to students, international students, and recent grads to compare your skills to those required in your field.
  1. Polish your greeting; smile, firm handshake and look the other person directly in the eyes. Be prepared to make conversation by starting off with a 30 second “elevator speech.” Be personable and approachable, and have those business cards ready!
  1. When at a networking event (either industry-specific or a general event), keep your business cards in one pocket and the ones you are collecting in another. You want to make sure you’re giving the correct one to a potential employer!
  1. When on an interview, remember; you are also interviewing the company. Ask questions about what will be expected of you, how your performance will be evaluated, who you will report to, etc. Don’t ask about salary and time off. Wait until the employer brings it up. By that time, you should have done your research about the company and the comparable salary for the job and the geographic area. Be prepared! At the end of the interview, ask questions, and you follow-up with a hand written thank you note will set you apart from the competition – always!
  1. Employers are looking for employees who are conscientiousness, show initiative, can get along with a diverse workforce and who can think “out of the box.” If you have completed a task at work, don’t play on the computer or check your phone, step up and find something to do that will make you look assertive and willing to be a team member. The co-workers you help today will remember your actions in the future.
  1. Stay away from office gossip and those who get involved in it. Managers and Supervisors know who the “office downers” are, and you don’t need to associate with them. It won’t help your attitude or your potential for optimal performance.
  1. Have a career plan; there IS a difference between a job and a career! Stay focused, but adaptable enough to grow personally and professionally. In today’s work world, an employee has to adapt to constant changes in roles and requirements for those roles. The employee who cannot accept change and go with the flow, will be left behind.

Midge Reichert, MS, PHR

Director of Career Planning & Community Engagement

Keiser University Flagship Campus