Alumni Feature: 4 Critical Steps to Post-Graduate Success

Annushree Patel, a graduate of Newbury College, shares four essential moves to get the most out of your college experience. Let’s get going on those #SuccessfulOutcomes.

Since graduating from Newbury College in May 2015, I have accepted an offer to work as a consultant for Triage Consulting Group in San Francisco. I was able to get my dream job in the city of my choice—but it was a journey that relied on hard work, intellectual curiosity, and support from my peers, professors, and the administration.

I learned that as a young college graduate, professional work experience during college is the single-most important résumé builder. Therefore, securing internship opportunities turned out to be a crucial step on my journey to post-graduate success. I worked as a finance intern at the Four Seasons Hotel, and as a product intern at the Massachusetts Health Connector. Below, I have outlined a four-step approach that I used to gain these incredible internship experiences, and ultimately maximize my post-graduate success:

1. Be Proactive and Take Advantage of School Resources
2. Network/Ask for Advice
3. Be Open to Opportunities
4. Never Give Up

1. Be Proactive and Take Advantage of School Resources

My freshman year of college, I decided to double major in Accounting and Health Care Management. I knew I would need to get real-world experience to determine what job was right for me. Newbury College emphasizes experiential learning and provides top-notch resources to find these kinds of learning opportunities.

I utilized Newbury College’s Career Services and Internship Placement Center to search for internship postings, research companies, and craft a general résumé and cover letter. The people in these offices were incredibly helpful—they helped me with everything from deciding a career direction to preparing for interviews. Whether at Newbury or elsewhere, be proactive and reach out to the services your school offers—they can make a difference.

2. Network/Ask for Advice

I received both of my internship opportunities as a result of networking with my professors and professional network. LinkedIn is a powerful way to start doing this. Your connections may know someone who could alter your career, so make an effort to connect with your professors, peers, and administrators. As I continued to build my professional network on LinkedIn, I used my connections to network with professionals in the field. Engaging with people on LinkedIn helped me better understand the opportunities that are available to me.

Additionally, I continued to build strong face-to-face relationships with my professors. An excellent way to connect with professionals is through seeking advice. Not only can you gain useful information from experienced professionals, but when you ask for help, you also are empowering others to invest in you. The more people you who feel invested in your career, the better!

3. Be Open to Opportunities

I found my second internship at the Massachusetts Health Connector through Health Career Connection (HCC), an organization that helps minorities find internships and jobs in the health care industry. While applying for HCC, I expressed my interest in hospital administration. I hoped that in turn, I HCC would give me an opportunity to dive into the hospital administration field. Instead, HCC matched me with the Massachusetts Health Connector, a state resource for information about health and dental insurance. While this wasn’t the internship experience I was seeking, I realized that it was an incredible opportunity to build a platform for millions of Massachusetts residents to purchase health insurance. Also, I was able to see health care through an entirely different lens. Be open to opportunities that are presented to you—you never know what you will learn from them.

4. Never Give Up

At your first glance of my experience, you see a great résumé with two successful internships and a stellar first job. However, I applied for many positions that are not displayed on my résumé. In fact, I applied to plenty of other internships and job opportunities for which I was rejected. Rejection is discouraging at any state in your life—but it feels especially heartbreaking as a young student or recent graduate. My advice is to remember that the only failure is to let these setbacks define you. So, pick yourself up, put in the hard work, and realize the success you’re hoping for.

What else would you include in your steps to success? We love hearing your thoughts! Feel free to comment below.