Graduating from college can be a huge culture shock. You are transitioning to a whole new way of life, which can be extremely overwhelming. Going from high school to college was one thing, but now you’re heading out into the real world to fend for yourself. Remember how scared you were to be a freshman, on the lowest rung of the social ladder? Think of being a college grad as entering the freshman year of life. Without the confines of school to guide you, you’ll probably feel a little lost. But keeping a few things in mind can help you make the transition smoothly and shine in your new role in the world. Just remember to be…

Professional

Gone are the days of skipping those big lectures, and hitting the snooze button through your 8 am psych class. Also in the past is arranging your schedule to have no classes on Fridays, as is enjoying all those 3-day weekends and long vacations during the year. Having a job means being there on time and working through long hours – if you are late even a few times, you are branding yourself as unreliable and setting yourself up to be fired. It is definitely a challenge for some students to adjust from a laid back college schedule to a more demanding work schedule, but it is an essential part of transitioning to the real world.

The actual work you do must also demonstrate professionalism. There are no more extension-giving professors to bail you out; you have to turn out satisfactory work and make deadlines.

Behaving professionally is also a requirement. This means interacting with others in an adult manner, keeping your temper in check, dressing professionally, and treating others with respect.

Learn from your mistakes, learn from your superiors, and your employers and co-workers will begin to view you as reliable and professional – exactly what you want.

Adaptive

Being open and flexible – in several areas – is absolutely key to succeeding after college.

For starters, don’t have tunnel vision: don’t hold too tightly to a preconceived plan or one single career path too soon. Take the new things you learn at your job to adapt to new opportunities. Studies have shown that the vast majority of today’s workers switch jobs multiple times and even make drastic career changes. Be open to this and don’t limit yourself. Being ready for whatever your professional life throws at you could lead you to great success down the road, especially in this fast-changing world.

It is also important to realize that college probably didn’t prepare you for everything you’re going to face out there. Learning as you go is part of life, so being able to adapt to new things and deviate from what you think you know are definitely conducive to success. Applying newly discovered knowledge or technology, learning a new task, learning to work with different kinds of people, balancing your personal finances, and working as a team at your job are all things you might have to adapt to down the road.

Realistic

The number of college graduates grows every year, making the competition for job positions fierce. For any given opening, there could be thousands of applications. Be realistic about your chances at getting certain positions as a recent graduate, and don’t be discouraged if it takes you awhile to work your way up to your dream job. Job hunting is difficult, so play to your strengths and don’t give up. Think of your first job as a launch pad for the rest of your career. Make the most of it and be as successful as possible in order to move on to your higher aspirations.

Balanced

Even though you balanced class, activities, and a social life in college, balancing a 40-hour work week with having a life can be just as daunting. Use effective time management to minimize your exhaustion, get everything done, and still have fun.

Practical

There is no such thing as “book smarts” anymore – school’s over. Practical knowledge and application are on the tests now, and tangible results are the grades. Be ready to put your know-how into practical use and adapt it to fit real-life situations.

Practicality also applies to the job hunt. Don’t expect to be able to rely on the fact that you graduated cum laude, or have a degree from a top-ranked school. This doesn’t make you any better than anyone else, so avoid feeling entitled to certain jobs. Focus more on how your skills, initiative, and personality make you a valuable addition to your potential employer’s company. Show them that you can make a positive contribution

Inquisitive

Perhaps the most important thing to remember is to ask questions. Any job can be a learning experience if you choose to make it one. No one is going to expect you to be an expert when you’re just starting out, so proactively seek out knowledge and skills.

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When applying for a job, enclosing a cover letter with your resume is usually a necessity. But what exactly is a cover letter and what do you need to touch on when writing one?

The Basics

A cover letter is your chance to make a first impression on your potential employer before you meet them face-to-face. You can say everything that you can’t on your resume, such as why you want the position and why it would be a perfect fit for you. The letter should be professionally formatted with a business heading including your return address, the address of the business, and the full name and title of the recipient.

The letter should be kept relatively short (3-4 paragraphs), but should be very well written, clear, and error-free. This is your chance to expand upon your resume and really introduce yourself to the company, so present yourself in a favorable, professional light.

What to Cover

In the body of your letter, be sure to do the following or include these subjects:

• State why you are writing: identify the position you are interested in
• Explain how you heard of the position and who you have already been in contact with at the company
• Discuss why you are interested in the position and the company: show that you’ve done your research
• Demonstrate that you understand the requirements of the position and that you are qualified to perform them well
• Expand upon relevant experience or skills that are mentioned in your resume: include specific examples and connect them to the job you’re applying for
• State your career interests and show your enthusiasm for the purported job position

The Different Types

Cover letters can accompany resumes for two main reasons: to inquire and to apply.

Letters of inquiry are used to contact a company that you are interested in working for, but are not sure if there are any current employment opportunities. Still do your research and mention specific positions that you would be qualified for. Stress how much the company appeals to you, how compatible it is with your career goals and strengths, and what you would personally bring to the company.

Letters of application are sent in response to a specific job that you saw advertised or heard about through correspondence. The main goal of this kind of letter is to convince the addressee to schedule an interview with you – get them interested in you and wanting to learn more.

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If you’ve ever taken a journalism or communication class, you’re probably familiar with “the doomsday spiel” – newspapers laying off hundreds of staff, ad money being lost forever to Craig’s List, anonymous bloggers taking all the wind out of journalists’ sails, and old media struggling to adapt to the Internet.

The good news for you as a writer? The old guard is still strong enough for you to have an established guide for getting into journalism, but the new guard is growing so exponentially in both size and power that an infinite amount of opportunity exists for you that didn’t exist ten years ago. The journalism world is indeed being turned upside down, but once someone figures out a working economic model for online media, the writers and reporters of tomorrow will have a world of choice before them.

So how do you get started building a personal brand as a journalist and a journalism career?

1. Build your portfolio.

Save any and all clips. Whether you dream of writing for TIME and the New York Times, or of blogging your way to fame and fortune, you need to be able to show you have experience and skill. When applying for a job with a publication, the first thing the editor’s going to ask for is some writing samples. Whether it’s a column you submitted to your hometown paper, a fun feature you wrote for your campus publication, or an article your wrote for class – cut it out, date it, and save it.  These will all help to build a brand and a portfolio. You can scan them into your computer to e-mail or post, or make paper copies to bring to interviews. Either way, keep an organized binder with all the originals for future reference. For pieces published online, save all the links and make sure the site keeps an archive.

2. Branch out.

The best way to get your foot in the door is to show that you have experience – and a variety of it. Even if you’re a great writer, editors won’t really buy into it unless you can show you’ve done a lot with it – your A in news writing class isn’t going to cut it on its own. So go after any and all real world opportunities to write and get published. Even established journalists often find themselves being thrown into a wide variety of job assignments – sports, columns, political coverage, personal profiles, local news, world news, arts, and the list goes on. So be prepared for everything and don’t depend on one particular beat too soon. Get experience with interviewing and some event photography too – the more well rounded you are, the better.

3. Network.

As with most career fields, networking can be instrumental for aspiring journalists. Does your relative’s company need someone to write newsletters? Is your friend of a friend looking for blog contributions? Does your journalism professor have contacts at the Washington Post? Be proactive – find out and take advantage.

4. Start small and work your way up.

Don’t get discouraged about starting out small. Many of the big time journalists will tell you they started out at a local TV station in Maine, or a tiny newspaper in the middle of Virginia. Working your way up is often part of the deal. Always do your best regardless – a fantastic article published in your small town paper is still a fantastic article and will impress your potential employers. With that being said, in today’s online world, there is more of a chance for writers to break out and build a following – without the traditional crescendo. Creating your own blog and publishing well written and researched articles can work wonders for your personal brand – and reach an incredibly extensive audience. And even if you eventually decide to write for a traditional publication, you’ll still have credible, well-read articles to show.

Here is a general list of places to look to get started:

1. Local papers. Many small, hometown papers have even smaller budgets and staffs, and would welcome new contributors. Even if it doesn’t get you a big paycheck – or any at all – it’ll still provide you with great reporting experience.
2. College publications. Most schools have at least one if not several publications on campus, whether its a newspaper, magazine, or website. Get involved – go to a meeting or call the editor and get an assignment.
3. Businesses. While not a stereotypical journalistic job, writing newsletters can be great practice for reporters. You have to do research, cover events, and conduct interviews about a business you’re probably not very familiar with.
4. Blogs and Ezines. There are a million blogs and online magazines out there where your work can be published. Do a Google search or ask around and find a good site to contribute to.
5. Major publications. Take a chance. Review a book or movie, or write an editorial, and try sending it into the New York Times, Washington Post, or Boston Globe of your area. They could always be looking for something to publish that appeals to the younger generation.
6. Your school’s internship offerings. Many schools, especially those with a separate journalism department or communication college, might have joint programs with area publications. Boston University’s College of Communication, for example, has an internship program with the Boston Globe, as well as a “study-abroad” program in Washington, D.C. where students work as real correspondents for New England papers and cover U.S. politics in the capital. Do some research and see what your school offers. An internship can be invaluable experience when you need a job after graduation – you’ll meet lots of influential people in the field and grow as a writer.

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