Tori Randolph Terhune - Land Your Dream Career in College: The Complete Guide to Success

Preface to the Paperback Edition

Congratulations!

You are someone who is poised to have a fabulous career. How do we know? You are reading this book. People who read things to better themselves tend to be the folks who are open to implementing good advice, which puts them ahead of the pack. And luckily, our readers have validated this idea with their terrific feedback about this book.

Whether you bought this book yourself, were given it as a gift, or checked it out from the libraryit doesnt matter. What matters is that you have chosen to invest in you , and you have chosen to be even more fabulous than you are right this minute. Kudos!

In the time since we wrote this book, a few things have changed in the job search landscape. The economy is improving, making your opportunity outlook a little sunnier than those who were in your shoes just a few short years ago. Also, online personal brands have become an even bigger player in the job search areas of recruiting, hiring, and promotions.

These changes mean that the content of this book is even more relevant and necessary now. As you go through its pages, here are some things to keep in mind to help you make the right choices to get the most out of the current environment.

1. Your brand is your golden ticket.

Whether you interpret this as a Willy Wonka or American Idol metaphor, the meaning is the same. Without a solid, positive personal brand (your golden ticket), you cant get to your goal location. Pay close attention to our brand assessment in chapter 2 and note that everything you do affects the brand that you work to design, build, and protect. Take the time to do your own assessment and use your brand words (as youll learn in chapter 2) as your guide as you complete the book. Also, make sure you offer the world a clear brand. As you may know from your own experience, people either ignore or become confused by things that are unclear.

2. Practice now to achieve perfection (or close to it!).

As you go through this book, embrace the sections that make you a better networker and practice them as you go along. For example, conduct an informational interview right after your read about it and the instructions are still fresh in your brain. Doing so will be helpful practice and make it easier to implement. After the first interview, schedule another one. Hint: Continue to practice and youll see that the best way to build your network is slowly and gradually. Step by step. Its a marathon, not a sprint.

Another example is to develop your elevator pitch(es) as soon as you read about them, and then refine them as you read on and find tips that may help improve them. You can also set up (or complete and optimize) your LinkedIn profile as you read through chapter 9 (about new media and online tools). Practicing the tactics we offer in each chapter while still reading the content will not only help you get started on your career path as soon as possible but also confirm that you are able to adequately digest every piece of advice.

3. Social media can help you.

Youll read about social media in detail in chapter 9, so make sure you become active on at least one social network to build your personal brand and establish yourself in your industry. You can grow your network quickly via social media, and you can impress people quickly as well. We now recommend actively managing two or three networks where potential employers can find youthe good stuff about you, that is! Even if you are not into social media or dont see how to use it for your career launch, pay close attention to chapters 9 and 10. And please dont skip these sections if you think you are a digital expert. We promise that there is always something new to learn, especially when it comes to reframing how you use these tools to help you land your dream career.

4. Social media can harm you.

We hope this isnt news to you, but even if youve heard it before, please dont ignore this truth. Professionals around the world have lost their jobs or potential opportunities due to online faux pas. Audit your past posts and ask yourself, would I want a potential boss or recruiter to read this post? If not, rewrite (edit) or delete it. Overall, it is time to reform your outlook on the purpose of social mediaeven at this early stage of your career. The more you think of social networking as solely a brand-building opportunity, the faster you will advance and thrive professionally. It is not just your friends who read your posts and see your pictureseven if you have strict privacy settings and only close friends. Recruiters are smart and resourceful when it comes to social media, and they often find what you dont want them to find. So post carefully and strategically. Go on the offensive and only post content that will make people want to hire you. Now, you may think that we have just sucked all the fun out of social media (which we have been accused of), but we havent. Take the opportunity to use your social media responsibly, and then use the texting photo option on your phone more frequently, as some things are better for sharing than posting. There is a difference! By the time youre done with this book, youll really be a pro at this.

5. Standing out is the key to getting in.

Your competition is global and fierce. Choose to be empowered by this fact, not afraid. Let the competition fuel you and inspire you to be an even better version of yourself. Carefully weigh all of the ideas we present and select the ones that make the most sense for you . Finding the few areas where you can excel and contribute (rather than trying to be good at everything) is key to charting the course to your dream career. We talk more about this fact in chapter 10, but it applies throughout the entire book (especially when we talk about your personal brand builders and killers). We cant emphasize enough that if you apply all of our brand-building suggestions, you will stand out in the best possible way. We promise.

Please remember that your time in college is all about maximizing your time as a student and making the most of the opportunities that you only have while in college. However, these are also important years in your life that you only get to live once. Weve included sections on creating wiggle room and taking time for celebration on purpose, as your college career should also be filled with fun and adventurewhich you wont have time for unless you choose to create time for it.