#plan now

You may have dreamt of the perfect position.  The idea came to you when you were a child, you've made it through high school, and now you're ready to Finally enter into college so that you can be just one step away from your dream job!

You've chosen your major: taking the basics (aside others with polar opposite majors) and struggling through the boredom of what seems to be pointless courses, asking, "What does this have to do with me and my job?"  But, you made it!... On to the Important Stuff!  Getting harder and becoming more time consuming, you are taking all of your field-related courses and as you draw an "X" through each day on the calendar, you are closer to graduation, and can taste the Victory.

Graduation is HERE!  Between the lectures and labs, parties and extracurricular activities, finding additional funding to pay for classes and hoping for a few hours of rest after a long day of work, you have completed your final exams and verified that you have passed each and EVERY Class.  SWEET!!  I am walking across the stage, grabbing my diploma, and off I go, into the real world.

5 Months Later...

No Job. I'm broke and student loan payments are just weeks away.  What have I done?  All this hard work, and for what?  Did I chose the right major?  Maybe not...

You see: through the visions of a corner office, bright lights, and dancing dollar signs, there may have been some overlooked details OR lack of research.  Did you talk to other professionals in the field?  Did you research the field and it's projection of potential employment for the future?

You can find professionals by flipping through the yellow pages of the phone book.  What if there aren't many available people?   Use a search engine to find businesses, and navigate to a link with contact information.  Simply send an email (or call) expressing your interest and purpose. I'm sure that someone would be happy to help, as you could be an asset to the company in the future.  (It worked for me)  You may also want to develop a profile on Linked In.  It's a professional networking website, in which you can also search for professionals and put your best foot forward, by sharing your academic and employment history.  You can also express your interests and talents.  Remember: it's not always What you know BUT Who you know.

You should also research your field of interest.  You may find that it does not have many opportunities OR that it is expanding and creating branches into other specific areas.  Well, how do I find out that information?  O*NET Online is a great source to find out about the Outlook of the position.  

Another Option: consider adding a minor to your curriculum OR (dare I say it) complete a double major.  "Are you CRAZY?!  I have More Work to do than I already want!"  Yes, but you may have just a few classes that stand between you and completing both degrees.  Review your college catalog OR better yet, consult with you departmental administrators for more details.