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Ten Things Every College Senior Needs To Do In February

This article is more than 6 years old.

The last semester of college is intense. Most students are very focused on their upcoming exams, papers, projects and other assignments. Their schedules are often crammed. They're not thinking about job-hunting and who can blame them?

The thing that college seniors often forget is that the students who arrive at graduation day with a post-college job search already in full swing are miles ahead of the pack.

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Those graduates won't face the same post-graduation-party letdown as students who haven't given a thought to the job they will need once they finish school.

It's very discouraging to stand up on stage, accept your diploma and then unpack your dorm room or apartment and head to your parents' basement to read job ads, play video games and worry about your future.

It's much, much better to get your job search engine up and running in advance!

You can begin building your job search engine now, even if you won't graduate until June.

Here are ten steps for every graduating senior to take in February. If you take these steps now, you'll be better prepared and more confident as a new-grad job seeker.

Here are your ten steps to take in February:

Ten Things Every College Senior Needs to Do In February

1. Create or update your LinkedIn profile. Make sure your picture is clear (not fuzzy) and portrays you as the professional you are.

2. Start reading job ads and thinking about specific jobs you may want to pursue after graduation.

3. Begin constructing your resume. Make a list of all the jobs you've held so far, all your volunteering experiences and anything else you want to call attention to in your background.

4. Take a first stab at a budget for your post-college life. What will your major expenses be, once you're through with school? Figure out what your monthly rent, utilities, phone, groceries, transportation and insurance costs will be. Those are the essentials. Add in a figure to cover clothes and entertainment.

Add everything up and you'll know what you need to earn after graduation in order to support yourself.

5. Talk to your parents, guardians and/or close friends about your career plans. Sometimes people around us know us better than we know ourselves!

6. Start using LinkedIn if you're not already familiar with its features. After you create your profile, invite a few people you know to connect with you. Then begin reading LinkedIn blog posts and perhaps writing your own.

7. Start thinking about your clothes. You undoubtedly have tops and bottoms that you'll never wear again after graduation. Why not donate a bunch of them now to start stepping into your post-college persona?

8. Stop in at your school's Career Services department. Introduce yourself and ask the Career Services staff which of their services are most appropriate for you.

9. Set aside an hour each week to think about your post-college career, your resume and your job search. Get a journal and write in it. Write about your career plans. Dream as big as you want! Your first job after school may not be your dream job, but it will still be an incredible learning experience and you will rock it!

10. Pat yourself on the back for all you've accomplished during your college career. You are a super star already. Now you're looking at blasting out of the college life you know into a new adventure. These ten steps will help you prepare for liftoff!

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