By: Emily Young MA ‘16

That’s a lot of info….let’s break it down. First impressions are critical in job interviews. Did you dress professional? Arrive early? Act courteous and polite to secretaries? Doing these three steps already gives you a leg up. Here are some more suggestions to seal the deal.

By: Emily Young MA ‘16

As college students, the best tool to network is informational interviews. Informational interviews allow you to become well-informed about the industry you’re interested in and are a great way to develop some contacts in your field. Top-level and mid-level executives rarely take calls from strangers, but for college students eager to learn there is an exception. Being a USC student is a powerful brand to get your foot in the door, so use it to your advantage.

By: Emily Young MA ‘16

There are many good reasons to make a budget, one might be that you realized you need to start saving for Spring Break after reading “Is It Spring Break Yet? Why It’s Not Too Soon to Start Planning.” Allow me to help you on your journey to becoming a financially responsible adult with my personal budgeting tips.

By: Lauren Brose ‘15

Finding a job nowadays is a full-time job within itself and just because we have USC on our resumes doesn’t mean getting hired is as simple as filling out a job application. As much as I’d love to say all major companies handpick graduates from USC, that simply isn’t true. USC is a great university to learn, grow and emerge into the working world from for a number of reasons; however, getting a high-paying job handed to you as you receive your diploma at graduation is not one of them. There is good reasoning behind why some grads are receiving offers of employment.

By: Judy Lee ‘17

1. How does this fit my career path?

By: Emily Young MA ‘16

Staying in touch with previous bosses, colleagues, teachers, and mentors via a holiday card/email is a subtle yet highly effective form of networking. It helps to keep you top-of-mind just in case Santa Claus didn’t bring you a nice shiny internship/job for Christmas.

By: Emily Young MA ‘16

Getting a job is tough. Especially when there are endless paths you can take with your degree. Instead of trying to determine a career path on your own, reach out to your network for help. Your contacts’ experience will help steer you in the right direction and their suggestions of who to talk to will ultimately lead you to a job. While there is nothing wrong with asking for help with your job search, how you ask for help makes a huge difference.

By: Emily Young MA ‘16

Reality check, “the real working world” is approaching faster than you can imagine. While school has prepared you for a lot, it hasn’t prepared you for everything. Some of the most important lessons you learn in “the real working world” are from failures.

By: Lauren Brose ‘15

So October just happened. Football season is winding down and it’s getting kind of windy at night, isn’t it? Normally I am stoked about Fall… but not this time. I walk through campus counting how many days I have left before I no longer have a reason to hang out around here—I am officially done with college in December. Thinking back, I wish I had taken that study abroad semester I deliberated having. Instead, I thought to myself, “finish school. Lauren. Get a job. Real world sounds cool.”

By: Emily Young MA ‘16

While networking implies building a vast network of people, is does not mean you do it all in one night by handing out business cards to everyone at an event. Making one or two genuine and beneficial connections during an event is a success. Read more on how to avoid the 5 common pitfalls of networking.

By: Emily Young MA ‘16

This morning I was feeling a little groggy, a combination of staying up too late doing homework and not eating a big enough breakfast. As I walked to volleyball practice alone, I first noticed how few people seemed to be on campus. Then, I noticed how everyone who seemed to cross my path appeared to be dead tired, or just as groggy as I was. It’s midterm season, I get it, but it also got me thinking. Working-out, as much as it may be a struggle sometimes, always makes me feel better.

By: Emily Young MA ‘16

In last week’s Work On It Wednesday, I shared some tips to improve your resume. This week we are bringing it all together with: The Cover Letter.