If you still have some time to go before you graduate, you have a perfect opportunity to make things easy on yourself when it comes time to look for your first "real" job. Just get some experience related to what you want to do when you graduate. This is a "no-brainer". Just do it. Nothing (not even a 4.0 GPA) will be more valuable to you as you start looking for that first professional position than some real-for-sure, hands-on, related experience. Even if you have to work for free, do it if you can . . . it'll pay off in the end. Here's how to do it.

Where Can I Get Related Experience?

• Internships and Co-op Experience - If you can get into an internship or co-op position related to what you want to do after you graduate, do it. Don't even think about it . . . just do it! If your school has a career center, they often can help you find these positions. If not, start looking on your own. Target companies in your field and apply to them for summer work. Don't expect to run the place and don't expect to make a pile of money. Do expect to gain some valuable experience worth its weight in gold on your resume when you graduate.

• Part-time Jobs - If you work part-time to support yourself in school, try to find jobs that are related to your field. For example, if your major is finance, try to find a part-time job as a bank teller. No, you might not make as much money as you would make in tips waiting tables at a classy restaurant, but if you can get by financially, do it. And even if you have to wait tables, maybe you can try to get involved in areas related to your career goal. For example, if your major is advertising or public relations, maybe you can offer to help with the restaurant's advertising and promotional efforts. If your major is computer science, maybe you can write a custom program that helps your boss run his business.

• Professors - Is your major chemistry? Volunteer to be a lab assistant to your chemistry professor. Yes, you're going to spend a lot of time washing laboratory glassware but you may get to watch or participate in some experiments or research along the way, too. And putting this experience on your resume shows that you like working in a lab, otherwise why would you have volunteered to work there when you didn't have to?

• Community Service - Is your major elementary education? How about volunteering a few hours a week at the local YMCA after school program? Health science or pre-med student? How about volunteering at a nursing home or hospital?

• Clubs and Organizations - Do you belong to a fraternity or sorority? If your major is finance, you could run for office as Treasurer. If your major is public relations, you can head your philanthropic committee and organize fund-raising projects.

Shamelessly Exploiting Your Related Experience

• Resume - Your related experience is the most important single piece of information on your resume so make sure prospective employers see it. Create a section on your resume called RELATED EXPERIENCE or INTERNSHIP (if that's what it was). If you have other experience waiting tables or flipping burgers, put that in a separate section, following the RELATED EXPERIENCE section and call it OTHER WORK EXPERIENCE. If you're one of those rare students lucky enough to have lots of related experience, you may be able to ditch the OTHER WORK EXPERIENCE section altogether. Once you've created a section on your resume for your related experience, describe your experience. Use paragraph style, bulleted style, or a combination of both . . . it doesn't matter. What matters is that you demonstrate that you actually learned something. No one expects you to have directed a multi-million dollar project, but anything you can show that lets the reader know you gained some knowledge about your chosen field is good. Did you work as a team member? Then say so. Employers like to hire people who can work well with others on projects. Did you pick up any new skills that you haven't learned in college (new software, operation of specialized instruments/equipment)? Write it down. Did you contribute anything through your own initiative that resulted in saving money for your employer, making money for your employer, and/or improving operational procedures? This is REALLY good! Don't forget to include these accomplishments.

• Interview - Don't forget to discuss your related experience in your interview. Presumably, the person(s) interviewing you will bring up this subject since this will be something of particular interest. If, for some reason, the interviewer doesn't bring up the subject, try to bring it up yourself. Keep in mind what work will be involved in the position for which you are interviewing and describe your experience in a way that shows how you might fit into that position.

• Networking - Make sure all the individuals who will serve as your references as well as everyone involved in helping you find a job is aware of your related experience so they will be able to discuss this information when they talk with prospective employers.

One Last Thought

On more than one occasion, students have been offered full time positions upon graduation with the very companies with whom they did their internship and co-op work. So, think about these jobs as terrific opportunities to get your foot in the door for something more permanent.