Ten Tips for New web Design Graduates, College is a fun time in life, but students who enter New web design school with a clear understanding of their goals will have an easier time of it on the job market. The following is the second installment in a two-part series on twenty tips for students enrolled in a New web design program.
1. Set up a LinkedIn profile.
Set yourself a goal of having twenty, thirty, forty industry connections on LinkedIn by the time you graduate from New web design school. (Tip: use a professional network like LinkedIn to manage your professional contacts. There's no need for potential employers to ever see those Facebook photos of you partying with a lampshade on your head. The faster you learn to distinguish between personal and professional, the smoother your transition to your new career will be.)
2. Constantly update your CV.
There's a funny thing that happens after New web design school: as our careers progress, we sometimes get so focused on what we are doing now, that we forget all the projects that came before. Start keeping a record of your accomplishments while you are still in New web design school by maintaining a long version of your CV. Update it each time you finish a project or acquire a new responsibility. When a job is posted, you will be able to quickly edit and apply.
3. Attend information sessions on job interviews.
The career placement service at your New web design school may offer free training sessions for students on interviewing skills.
4. Build up an interview wardrobe.
Don't go overboard. Just make sure that you have something interview-appropriate in your closet so that you could be interview-ready at a moment's notice. (Tip: when you do land a job, build up your working wardrobe slowly. Take your time to figure out the culture of the organization first. And only spend within your means, even if you have to be patient.)
5. Create an email for your professional correspondence.
Some New web design school students still have whimsical email addresses featuring nicknames or in-jokes from their high school days. Take a look at your email.
Is it:
simple
informative
neutral
If not, change it!
6. Gather letters of recommendation.
Chances are that you are going to need reference letters from the teachers in your New web design program. Do your teachers a favour and ask them (politely!) for these letters ahead of time. New web design school professors can feel overwhelmed at the end of the session when all of their students ask for recommendations at the same time, especially when it is on short notice. Foster good relations with your teachers - they could be your future colleagues.
7. Find a mentor.
Do you have a favourite lecturer in your New web design program? Ask him or her to be your mentor in the first year after graduation from New web design school.
8. Print up business cards.
This may be the age of smart phones, but prospective clients will still ask you for your card. Make sure that you have one to give.
9. Attend networking events.
Look for business meet-ups in your area. Set yourself a goal of attending one or two events a month in your final year of New web design school.
10. Practice stress reduction skills.
When the going gets tough at work, will you have a strategy for dealing with it? Look into meditation, yoga, or an outdoor sport that will clear your mind.