Wow. Things sure happen fast after graduating college. It seems like just yesterday I was walking down the aisle at CU Denver to grab my diploma and start the next chapter of my life. Now I’m sitting at my desk at Turner PR—the firm I once dreamed about working for. Starting this chapter is no easy task, especially when you have no idea where to start. But when you find your niche in the world, you flourish, and you love it. To all the soon-to-be graduates and entry level professionals, getting your foot in the door can be hard, but not impossible. If you haven’t already learned, there is no “how to land a job 101” course that is offered in college; but there are some do’s and don’ts that are useful to know. And while I’m no pro at giving hiring advice, there are things I did that most certainly helped.
Start doing something. Seriously. It doesn’t matter that you majored in biology and want to try photography, because if you’re doing what you love then you’re going to be good at it. If you don’t know what you want to do, then make a list of your hobbies and what you like to learn about in your free time. Doing this helped me land my first public relations experience at Colorado Ski Country, and I loved it. Did I mention that I majored in Political Science and Philosophy?
Once you land that first position, you’ll find out quickly what you like and what you don’t like. Find someone whose work you admire, and ask them to be your mentor. You’ll have your first connection to the professional world, and they might even refer you to their friends when you’re done with your internship. Had I never found Jenn at Colorado Ski Country, I would have never met Ashley, Whitt, or any of the other awesome people I now work with.
“Fake it till you make it” is the saying that comes to mind with this one. Starting a new job or career path is hard, but acting like your mentors and completing tasks with confidence will get you farther than you know. When you’re starting, interning, or volunteering for a company that you care about, keep in mind that everything is a test. People notice when you complete a task half-heartedly; and they smell your uneasiness when you don’t know what you’re doing. When you in fact, don’t know what you’re doing, observe the people you look up to and ask for some tips on how they would complete the task. Doing this has not only boosted my confidence and the confidence my mentors have in me, but it has actually made me better at my job.
It’s hard to say which one of these was the tipping factor in landing my communications internship at Turner PR, but I know for a fact that all of these helped. Needless to say, I am excited to be part of a successful team that is doing awesome things; and ready to tackle what they throw at me next. This was my journey, now its time to start yours. - David Mallie ( @dmmallie)