ACADEMICS

Five Tips for Recent Grads

Always eager to reach out to young professionals and undergraduates, RISCPA recently participated in Johnson & Wales University's 34th Annual Career Expo.

It was the first step in our collaboration with the school to develop an internship program that can eventually be replicated at other colleges and universities throughout Rhode Island.

One of the Society’s strategic goals is to develop stronger ties to the academic community, trying to help usher in a new generation of professionals. Members of the newly created NYPN-10 Task Force, also part of that effort, provided representation at the job fair. Those volunteers were Jennifer Freitas, John Teixeira, Michelle Cullion and Mariann Lackey.

More than 120 other employers were also present at the expo, which took place on the Johnson & Wales campus at Shipyard Street, in Providence. The students who attended will have a lot of information to digest as they graduate and come into the workforce during the next few months and years ahead.

For the budding young professional, here are some tips from Akanksha Aga, Assistant Director of Employer Relations at Johnson & Wales:

1. LOOKING FOR A JOB IS A JOB: Take ownership and be prepared to invest all your resources in your job search and application process. It won't feel as overwhelming if you break it down into the various important components: update your resume, research companies, practice interviewing and dry-clean your suit!

2. KNOW WHAT YOU WANT: Like the Cheshire cat said to Alice, "If you don't know where you are going, it doesn't matter which road you take." Spend some time thinking about which factors are most important to you. The key considerations include money, title, company personality and location. What are the things you absolutely need in a job, and where are you flexible?

3. DREAM BIG, START SMALL: You should have high aspirations that guide your long-term career path. But keep your near-future plans realistic so that you don’t set your sights so high that you don’t get anywhere. The economy is tough, and everybody starts somewhere. Most CEOs were probably interns at some point in their lives.

4. NETWORK, NETWORK, NETWORK: Most people land jobs through networking. Reach out to your family, friends, professors, career advisor, college alumni, boss from a summer job, roommate's mom and anybody else you can think of.  You just never know who might know someone at your dream company, or who might have an opportunity that fits you perfectly.

5. CLEAN UP YOUR ONLINE PROFILES: As you transition from college to your career, it’s important that your online presence is professional. You probably don't want recruiters to see those spring break photos. Take a minute to look through your MySpace, Facebook and any other profile you maintain online, and look at it through the eyes of a potential employer. If there is anything that might raise eyebrows, take it down.