Article: 10 Career Tips for Grads (That No One Ever Tells You!)

Why it’s important: J.T. O’Donnell explains the importance of developing your “career story,” a 30-second summary of your professional strengths and short-term career goals that illustrates your knowledge of yourself and your desire for success. This is an excellent career tool you can use to compliment your personal branding efforts.

O’Donnell reminds us, “Like it or not, you are selling your services when you look for a job.” A compelling career story will improve your chances of being hired.

I suggest you read through the whole article. It has a lot of important insights on today’s workplace.

I particularly liked Tip #7: “Spray-and-pray job searches are for people who are willing to settle for what’s available. Get active, create a network, and you’ll get access to the hot job nobody else knows about.”

This ties in perfectly with being proactive about your personal brand, which is a huge part of networking. A strong personal brand will bring you to the top of acquaintances’ minds when they’re thinking of job applicants.

Important action points to take away from the article:

• Write out your professional strengths
• Write out what kind of employee you are (be honest and authentic)
• Write out your short term career goals
• Time yourself saying them out loud and keep it under 30 seconds
• Practice in front of others to get feedback
• Revise your pitch if necessary
• Type it up and put it on your “About Me” page
• When the time comes to use it in person, be relaxed and natural

The time has come to stop reading - and start doing! Start with the first bullet point right now to begin the process of creating your career story.

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