Be the Leslie Knope of Your Career

You might be just a college student right now, but soon enough you’ll be entering the real world and launching your career. You may not choose to consume an unhealthy amount of waffles or make hundreds of binders to organize your ideas, but there are still so many ways that you can be the Leslie Knope of your career and your path to getting there.

Have a strategy. Set realistic goals for yourself of what you want to achieve and when it’s most feasible to do so. Set aside time each week to work on career development, whether that’s searching or applying for a job, attending a networking event, or editing your resume.

Be persistent and dedicated. As Leslie once said, “One person’s annoying is another person’s inspiring and heroic.” Push yourself to be all that you can be in every aspect of your career preparation. Learn to write an effective cover letter, fine tune your interviewing skills, and strengthen your LinkedIn profile. Ask as many questions as you can of career advisors or other professionals who can give you feedback.

Network, network, network. Meet everyone that you can within your industry and learn from them, whether they are a recruiter at a company you’d like to work for, an employee in a role you’d like to have someday, or your career idol. A great place to gain some networking experience is at Towson’s Mega Job and Internship Fair on March 23 from noon – 3 p.m. in SECU Arena. With over 200 employers, you never know, you just might meet your very own Joe Biden.

Never lose sight of who you are and what you want out of life. Gearing up for the job search process and tackling the unknown can feel overwhelming, especially in such an important life transition period. It’s easy to feel defeated or worried, but just know that there’s always a light at the end of the tunnel (and probably some waffles).

 

Rachel Ungvarsky
Marketing Intern
The Career Center