A female student smiles as she thinks about her future.
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They say the college years are the best years of your life. It’s easy for students to get distracted and focus more on having fun than planning for their future. Four years go by so fast that you come to the end and feel like you’re floating in the middle of an ocean with no direction. The good news is that it doesn’t have to be that way. By building your personal brand in college, you expose yourself to the complexities of the professional environment early on. If you want to know why you should start building your personal brand while you’re in college, keep reading.
1) It will give you an edge in the job market
Did you know that some companies are looking for talent before graduation? They hire headhunters to secure the most promising candidates and use websites like LinkedIn to do so. By developing your personal brand and introducing yourself, you increase your chances of being discovered by one of these headhunters.
2) You increase your chances of getting hired right out of college
According to research conducted by the University of Washington, finding a job after graduation takes 3 to 6 months. Additionally, the Federal Reserve Bank of New York claims that there is 41% unemployment among college graduates. If you are scouted by a headhunter, you will have an interview in the final year and the company will hire you temporarily depending on your grades. So you will literally get out of college and start working.
3) Keeps you focused
As mentioned, college can get pretty wild and you can spend more time partying than studying. But the purpose of college is to prepare you for the real world. By building a personal brand while in college, you are constantly reminded of what you are there for and what you hope to achieve after graduation.
4) You can spend time developing your skills
You may not know exactly what you want to do, but your skills will become more apparent during your college years. You can add some credentials to your resume by taking some online courses or participating in extra curricular activities to strengthen your skills, which will give you extra credibility and make you more employable. It may seem like a bit much to take extra courses while studying for a degree; but it will be worth it in the end. Maybe you can sacrifice going out one night a week and work on your online course?
5) You won’t feel disappointed after college
It’s not uncommon for students to feel completely lost after college. Sometimes students feel completely frustrated and don’t know what to do. Job hunting after graduation is never a good idea, and you should start a few months before and practice your interviewing skills in hopes of having a few interviews lined up right after graduation. Many students become disillusioned after graduation because they think the hard work is over. They expect employers to fall at their feet because they have a degree and are unpleasantly surprised when their emails and phones aren’t blowing up with job opportunities. The reality is that things get even more difficult after college, you’re thrown into a competitive market with some extremely qualified applicants and you’re going to be in for one hell of a fight. But developing your personal brand while in college will ensure you don’t feel disappointed after graduation. You will be well prepared and ready to face the challenges ahead.
As much as you want to have fun and enjoy college life, balance is important. Yes, go to some parties and let your hair down, but don’t forget why you’re there and start building your personal brand so you’re ten steps ahead of the game after graduation.
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