The Sands of Summer and The Sands of Time.

Planet College wide and culture wide the summer months, June, July and August have a vacation atmosphere. The general attitude is these months are a little more kick-back, a little more of a 'time out' feel. Students who are accumulating time and experience on Planet College aren't long seduced by this illusion. Which is what it is for a person whose time is as valuable as yours, an illusion.

For some lolling on beaches enjoying the sands of summer and the parties of summer nights is a rewarding and even necessary time out. For career focused students the sands are running through the big hour glass of their lives all the same.

Now, summer has become time to add hours at work or get another, additional job. This can reduce or possibly eliminate the need for loans this coming term.

Some students take advantage of summer courses offered either at their main campus or some campus closer to home. Making sure this course or these courses ultimately hasten their graduation date is basic wisdom, the kind earned through experience.

Experience shows no matter how you use your time it is still your time you are using. It is only in the hour glass that the sands of time replenish themselves. On Planet College and on Earth a day gone is a day gone for good.

This summer, your summer, will only happen once. When it is done how much closer will you be to graduation?

Get Those Graduation Announcements Out, Part Four.

Graduation Announcements, Part Four, The Really Important Part.

Now. Your graduation announcements are addressed, neatly addressed, stamped and mailed. Most importantly you have a list of each of the people to whom you have sent an announcement, especially at the businesses.

This list could be the key to your immediate and even long term future back on Planet Earth.

Here's why. Soon after your actual graduation, very soon, start calling the individuals from the list you had used for your mailing.

Once you reach them identify your self and say something simple and friendly like, "Hi, I'm Recent Graduate. I sent you an announcement and I'd really like to talk with you sometime about what I can do for your business."

Listen carefully to what they say and make a brief note next to their name on the list. If it is something like,"Thanks we'll let you know." note that and go on the the next name.

If you get an interview out of this effort, well, you're on your way. That is the actual point of this entire exercise, full time employment, or as close as possible, which recognizes your status as a college graduate.

Your very hard earned degree is now a permanent part of your resume and the recognition provided by your first job as a graduate is critical to your progress back on Planet Earth.

Get Those Graduation Announcements Out, Part Three.

Graduation announcements are an integral part of your re-entry on Planet Earth.

This is because you now want a real full time job and your graduation announcements can help.

The last post on this topic ended with stamps. You'll need some for this and you can get them from lots of places including the post office.

When you have your announcements and your name and address list, friends and relatives, ( you want gifts) and businesses, (you want a full time job) you will need to set some time aside to do the addressing, stamping and mailing. When doing so make sure the name and address is neatly applied to each announcement envelope. (If your hand writing still looks like it did in the third grade, get help. You want people to know you are graduating from college not middle school.)

Once the addressing has been accomplished take the envelopes to the post office, there may be a sub-station on your campus, but, where ever it is go there and deposit the entire lot.

Super Important. Be sure and keep a list of everyone you have sent an announcement to.

Almost Done.

Get Those Graduation Announcements Out, Part Two.

Details Details.

If you are used to communicating by e-mail and are not familiar with mailing you can use this information.

I'f you have read the above post you may be a little under informed about 'mail'. Mail is printed, written or typed messaged placed in a sealed envelope and delivered to an address or post office box by a division of the United States Government called the postal service. When you lived in campus housing you had a post office box on the first floor. It was the little thing you looked into sometimes to see if anyone had sent you money.

Now, you are going to send mail and if you haven't done much of this you might need some help. You will notice the graduation announcements come with envelopes. These will need to be addressed and also stamped. Maybe you can get a list of relatives', especially the prosperous ones, names and addresses from your mom. Use this to hand address individual envelopes.

A list of businesses for whom you would like to work or at least be interviewed could take a little diligence. It is possible to find their mailing address on line but you will also need the name of some individual to send your graduation announcement to. Probably this will be someone in the company's Human Resources Department.

These envelopes also need to be stamped.

There's more.

Get Those Graduation Announcements Out, Part One.

It's already April and commencement is looming.

If you are finally graduating it is time to get your graduation announcements out. Most institutions provide graduating students with a set amount of graduation announcements, maybe twenty-five. It is part of the 'graduation' package that includes the gown rental and that other stuff that goes along with it. They're printed with the graduate's name, in this case yours, pretty cool.

For you, right now, if you have finally made it, there is probably a flurry of activity associated with your graduation. Among all this don't over look those printed announcements.

First of all they serve as really effective 'gift raising' devices, so for that fact alone they are practically priceless. Shameless, but what the heck, you earned it.

Secondly, but even more important, printed graduation announcements are really effective tools to present yourself to potential employers. Since your NEXT BIG STEP is career, a graduation announcement sent to a business in which you would like to work tells them you are now ready for the big time.

Read On.

The Job Fair.

You're slouching through the student center tastefully slobbed out in the same jeans and hoodie you've been wearing for the last three years. There, before your eyes, are rows of folding tables with company literature carefully displayed and the dressed-for-success company representatives on the cheap folding chairs that go with the tables. There, also before your eyes, are students at least some what neatly dressed, distributing carefully composed resumes and conversing earnestly. Whoa. The Job Fair. On your campus is it coming or has it gone? Or do you know? Campus job fairs are another staple on Planet College as the term grinds on. They are usually arranged by The ASU or sometimes Student Services to facilitate students getting to the point of their education. Work. Full time work.

If you like thousands of others, OK, hundreds of thousands of others on Planet College have, up until now, taken a totally casual approach to your future back on Earth it is quite possibly time to kick your career planning up a notch.

Here's a few ideas. First, if you do happen to accidentally wander through The Job Fair go ahead. Stop and talk to a few of the company representatives. Pick up business cards and send them an e-mail, "Thanks, I enjoyed talking with you."

Also, look around for a campus organization which even generally relates to careers you may be interested in. Some of these groups may be volunteer. Some of them may even have their own Career Fair or what ever they want to call their job deal. Even if you are not a member of their respective society you are probably still welcome to attend the fair. These experiences are basically informational right now but they can be inspirational in the sense that you may come across a field in which you are actually interested.

Also these events function as that time honored approach to job getting, networking. The more people you know the more likely you are to get work.

About that interview or Just exactly what does this company.

Right about now, especially if you are graduating, a big part of Back to Earth from Planet College is jobs. A big part of jobs is just simply getting one. You've probably had several but if you are getting your degree this term then this time the job is a little different. It is the next step and maybe even the first step in your career.

If you are now involved in interviews there are a few basic points to bear in mind. The simple ones may seem obvious but as the TA said at your last class meeting, "Let's review." For any given interview first of all show up on time. In the world of business on time means a few minutes early.

Internships

When seeking work, especially meaningful work of the kind which could lead to a career, the subject of internships often arises among students on Planet College.

So it might be time for an intern "orientation".

First internships are rarely paid positions. What is offered is usually a position in an industry in which the intern might want to work, sometimes meals and transportation costs are included. This can add up to a modest sum often in the form of a payment. This payment is sometimes called a stipend. It is not a wage or a salary.

An intern may be asked to do a variety of tasks like getting coffee or taking out the trash or picking up supplies. These are usually under the heading of "gofer" and most internships are really gofer jobs. Still the opportunity to work with professionals who are in the business is helpful.

Interns are notoriously cheerful and upbeat. Which is why many business like them. Interns often provide fresh energy and a new perspective to their daily work .

If you are interested in an internship but might not know how to get started looking, ask at your department office. College departments often receive requests for students who may be interested in an internship.

If you do locate a potential position regard it as seriously as you would any job interview.

Be prepared to talk about what you feel you can contribute to the business for which you are a potential intern. Some students have found that a brief thank you note addressed to the interviewer is not only courteous it also helps keep your name in front of the interviewer.

As with any position for which you may be interviewing a call back within a week to the interviewer is standard practice. This call should be brief and to the point. "If the position is still open I am still interested."