Earlier this afternoon, I gave a presentation to the University of St. Thomas PRSSA chapter. It was a great exercise for me, because as a young professional I often struggle with feeling inexperienced and “too young.” Throughout the process of preparing my presentation – and thanks to Arik Hanson for the idea – I decided I could speak to what I know, which is what to look for and expect in your first job out of college.
For this presentation, I also experimented with Prezi. While I found it a bit hard to get used to, I definitely think that with more practice it will become my favorite presentation tool. If nothing else, it definitely wins points over PowerPoint for being more visually interesting and engaging.
Here is a quick recap of what I had hoped to get across. While this certainly isn’t an environment where recent graduates can’t be picky, there are definitely things that you want to look for in your first full-time job:
- Challenges. One item I mentioned to the group was to step outside of your comfort zone. Your first job is the perfect place to develop new skills, especially those you aren’t particularly comfortable with. For me, this is in the realm of public affairs. I’m lucky that my employer has robust knowledge in this area, and I have worked very hard to get on teams where I can gain some experience and learn from my colleagues.
- Variety. As a young professional, I had (and still have) no idea where exactly I would like to end up at the end of my career. Thus, an agency was the perfect environment for me to be exposed to a large variety of work, clients and industries. Whether it’s varied client industries, or varied tasks in the work day, it presents the opportunity for recent graduates to learn as much as possible.
- Professional Development. It is my believe that one’s first job out of college presents great potential for furthered professional development. Whether it’s sponsored by the company, or done on one’s own time, learning new skills and tools is absolutely necessary. If you are able to find a company that fosters and encourages such behavior, you should take advantage.
What would you add to this list? What did you most value out of your first full-time position? Or, what you have experienced later in your career that you wish you would’ve done much earlier?
If you’re interested, here is the magic that I created. Like any presentation, it might not translate as well without my awesome dialog…
