Get Ready for This Holiday Question: What Are You Going to Do After You Graduate from College?

"What are you going to do after you graduate from college?"

If you're a college senior, this question is inevitable at a holiday party.

If you're like a few of my friends were in college, you may already know where you will work, what you will do, and how you will spend your final semester of senioritis.

If you're like I was, you may have no clue what to say.  No fear.  You might not know exactly what you will do after college, but at least you could have a plan in place for figuring it out.  Even if you don't have a concrete answer for relatives and friends, these are five job search points you will want to consider before entering a holiday party and before starting your last semester as an undergrad:  

1. What Type of Job Do You Want Right After College?  For some students, this is straightforward.  If you're an accounting major, you probably (but not always) want to be an accountant.  If you're an engineering major, you probably (but not always) want to be an engineer.  If you're major is in the liberal arts (i.e. history), you might want to see how what you value about that major aligns with potential careers.  Then again, your future job is not always directly linked to your major.  Take a look at school clubs, volunteer activities, or internships that you have done (you have been active in extracurriculars all throughout college, right? … I hope).  Is there a way to link those experiences to your first job right after college?  Brainstorm on your own before you ask….  
2. How Could You Better Learn and Prepare for Your Ideal Career?  If you're a college student, one ideal starting point would be your college's career center.  The center will have resources for researching different fields, getting your resumes and cover letters critiqued, getting career skills assessments, attending employer information sessions, and attending career fairs.  If you feel overwhelmed by the massive resources offered by your career center, do not hesitate to set up an appointment with a career counselor, preferably one who specializes in your field, so you could address your concerns and carve out some job search strategies that fit your college graduation timeline. 
3. How Could You Connect to People Who Have Your Ideal Career?  Researching a career could mean reading about it on the Occupational Outlook Handbook.  While general knowledge of a career is important, it is also vital to have knowledge of specific employers or jobs.  Therefore, talking to a person who has your ideal career is key to having a more concrete understanding of the reality behind a job.  This is where informational interviewing and job shadowing come in handy.  If you need more details on those activities, check out your career center for information on them.  Quintessential Careers is another good resource for informational interviewing, job shadowing, and other job search strategies.
4. Are You on LinkedIn?  If you do not already have a profile, go to LinkedIn now to set up an account.  This gives you the opportunity to showcase your educational, professional, and other marketable experiences and skills online.  Professors, supervisors, and coworkers could recommend you right on your profile.  If an employer searches for you on LinkedIn, they get to see the recommendations even before reaching out directly to you or your job references.  On top of that, you could use LinkedIn to connect to people who have your ideal career (See Job Search Point #3).  While contacting alumni of your university is a good starting point, it is by no means the only one.  Join professional groups on LinkedIn and reach out to other people that way.  Because the people behind LinkedIn recognize that navigating the website could be daunting, they even give you tips on how to approach it.  In fact, they even wrote a blog geared toward students just like you. 
5. Who Is In Your Support Network?  Your support network may have a variety of people.  They could be your family members, friends, professors, work supervisors, and other mentors.  These will be the people in your corner to celebrate your successes like your first job offer or to commiserate if things don't go as planned.  While some of them may serve as job references, others will be there more for moral support.  At the end of the day, it is good to have these people to keep your spirits up regardless of your job search situation.  Who knows … Some of them may be waiting for you at your next holiday party.