4 Productive Ideas for College Grads

College graduation is an exciting milestone and is cause for much celebration.  It is the moment that represents a goal achieved through many years of hard work.  There is no better feeling than graduating college knowing in a few short weeks you will start your real job and start earning real money.  Unfortunately a growing percentage of college students will never enjoy this feeling.  With a challenging entry-level job market more students are graduating with no job and uncertain plans after college.  This triggers a new set of emotions including stress, loss of confidence, and anger.  To battle tough times, here are 4 productive ideas for the recent grad without a plan. 

1.) Focus on a personal goal

Graduating college without immediate plans to work presents a gift of time that can be used to improve your skill at something you love.  Some ideas include getting into better physical shape, taking a dance class,  improving your golf game, or learning a foreign language or new piece of software.  Focusing on personal goals during this unsure time in your life is a great outlet and stress relief.  It puts you in 100% control of success, something you can't rely on with your current job search.

2.)  Volunteer

Giving of your time and expertise to others is a tremendous help to your community and is quite gratifying.  In addition to helping a worthy cause you are also strengthening your personal brand.  Volunteering puts you in a position to interact with others from completely different backgrounds which is tremendous practice for the dream job you will eventually land.  Who knows?  You might even bump into another volunteer that is so impressed by you they offer you a job.  To find volunteer opportunities do quick web search for "non-profit organizations" in your area.  These .org websites almost all have contact information or a tab named" volunteer."

3.)  Travel

There is a running joke in the business world that no student's college journey is complete without their month-long trip to Europe upon graduation.  This is mostly employer jealousy from not having the opportunity themselves.   Take it from me:  There will never be an easier time in your life to travel.  Gather some cash and make it happen.  Traveling abroad, whether it be Europe or another destination, is an amazing experience.  It puts you out of your comfort zone and helps you better relate to different cultures.

4.) Network

There are endless amounts of tools and arenas available to build your network.  Networking is a confusing topic for some students.  How do I do network?  Where can I get networking experience?  What is and is not acceptable when networking?  These are the questions I get from students when I visit campus.  Here are some "rapid fire" answers to these questions.

How do I do network?  Networking is done through conversation.  Whether you are talking to someone online or interacting with them at a live event the key is striking up a conversation.  Think of it a bit like dating:  Ask lots of questions and seem interested.  Where do you work?  How did you get started?   What projects are you currently working on?  These are good things to ask.

Where can I get networking experience?  The simple answer is anywhere!  I recommend seeking out in-person events as they tend to get you out of your comfort zone and more practice communicating in a professional setting.  A few ideas:  Check the local paper, visit your chamber of commerce website, check your local event magazine, or get in touch with career services at your school.  Job expos, seminars, and community breakfasts are good things to attend.

What is and is not acceptable when networking?  My best advice is to dress to fit the crowd you will be mingling with.  If you are unsure dress like you would for an interview (nobody laughs at the guy or girl that looks well put-together after all).  Next, read the situation when talking to someone.  If they seem disinterested or distracted keep it short and move on.  It's ok to let other professionals know you are active in your career search.  Just don't go asking them for a job after 2 minutes of small talk.  Finally, always follow-up.   Best practice is to ask for a business card after a conversation and follow-up with a nice email and a LinkedIn invite the following day.

I wish all graduates the best of luck navigating this tricky job market.  Focus on these 4 items and you will find yourself headed in the right direction.