Starting a career in 5 steps

So … maybe you’re stressing out about starting a career. It’s okay to admit it — 87% of all American college students agree with you. And that’s where we come in. Aspire’s Career Education Platform aims to break down the art and science of career-building. We’re here to help you make sense of all the good advice out there while thinking creatively about what’s best for you. It’s time to take all that end-of-semester stress and turn it into strategy.

Here’s how.

1. REFLECT

A lot of us focus so hard on achieving success that we overlook the importance of defining success for ourselves.

Success means different things to different people. Beyond the obvious (hey, we all gotta make rent), maybe your personal vision of success means supporting your family back home, building a network of meaningful relationships with like-minded individuals, or making a positive and lasting impact on society. It’s not just about what satisfies you; it’s about what motivates you.

It’s a pretty basic first step, but today’s career aptitude quizzes can effectively assess your strengths and weaknesses and help you hone in on what matters to you and what kinds of work suit you best.

2. DO YOUR HOMEWORK

Now that you’ve got a direction in mind, it’s time to do some homework. You’ll want to compare your options in a way that’s simple, organized, and easy to scan. We recommend creating a matrix — it’s a great way to get perspective on your opportunities.

In the left column, list your opportunities. An opportunity can be anything — a research project, a cause, or even a job offer.

Across the top, list the top 3–5 things you want to get out of your next big opportunity. These can be objective, material goals (stuff like salary and benefits) or they can be more abstract (like networking, social justice, or working styles). Think hard about which goals are most important to you (consider listing from left to right in order of importance).

Here’s an example:

3. GET THE SCOOP

Now that you’ve identified your top opportunities, it’s time to tap your network and schedule some informational interviews. Research on paper is great, but there’s no substitute for a face to face conversation with someone who’s been there.

Ideally, you can find a connection to someone actively working in the industry or role that interests you, but don’t worry if you can’t find the perfect interviewee right away. Good research takes time, and every conversation establishes a connection that could come in handy later. If you’re not sure where to start, talk to your professors. They’re sure to be a good source of general information and can probably connect you to someone with specific industry experience.

Once you’ve scheduled a few conversations, do some prep-work. Get familiar with your interviewee’s resume and come up with a list of solid, specific questions. Once you’re prepped, all you’ve got to do is show up, be yourself, and get ready to learn something that could change your future.

4. APPLY YOURSELF

So you’ve made your matrix, identified your opportunities, and talked to some people in the know. You’ve got a clear picture of which options you want to chase first, so it’s to get down to business.

When applying to jobs (or anything, really), the secret to success is getting informed and staying engaged. Hiring managers want to see that you can add value to their big-picture vision, so the more you know about the role and the organization, the better.

A company’s “Careers” page is a great place to start. You can get a good sense of what matters to a company by reading their current job postings and seeing what skills and cultural values keep popping up. Scoping out a company’s social media presence or recent press coverage is another good way to get a feel for their brand voice and what’s important to them in the moment.

The goal, of course, is to craft a few very pointed, specific questions that prove you’re serious about the role while helping you figure out if the role is right for you. Think beyond the job description you applied for and ask about how the role would interact with other departments, or ask how the company as a whole has changed in the last few years. You won’t be able to get a perfect download of every responsibility and detail in just one interview — and anyway, that’s the kind of thing you’ll learn if you get the job — but you want to walk away from every interview with some understanding of how the organization is structured and where you’d fit in.

5. Excel

Awesome! You’re hired. Once you’re settled in, make it a priority to learn stuff outside your day-to-day role. This can include tools or skills that you’d like to pick up, or it can mean keeping an eye on industry trends so that you can get an idea of where you’d like to land in a year or two.

Remember that every company’s greatest resource is its people. Identify the types of people with whom you work well, and get to know leaders whose working style and results you admire. Some companies provide formal mentorship programs and others don’t, but it’s always a good idea to ask questions. As usual, make sure your questions are thoughtful — you’ll always get better advice if you can be specific about what you’re looking for.

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Ready for more? Join Aspire’s Career Education Platform and we’ll send a free copy of Aspire’s complete career planning guide, plus access to insights on tons of possible career paths.