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<\/div>\n?Learn how to get the skills employers are looking for. Best-selling author Martin Yate, a career coach and former HR professional, takes your questions each week<\/a> about how to further your career in HR. Contact him at the e-mail address at the end of this column.<\/p>\n I’m nearing graduation and wondering if I should start applying for an entry-level job now or wait until after graduation. I’d appreciate any advice you can give me.<\/em><\/p>\n Anonymous<\/em><\/p>\n The short answer is: the sooner you start applying, the better. Put your degree on your resume, with “(anticipated)” before your graduation date. <\/p>\n [SHRM members-only content: <\/em> Learn more about your student membership<\/em><\/a>]<\/em><\/p>\n But before you rush off to update your resume, let’s look a little more deeply into this question that’s important to every college student. Being aware of the challenges that you\u2014as an entry-level candidate\u2014present to the people who hold your future in their hands gives you the ability to minimize them:<\/p>\n The wrong decision decreases a manager’s credibility. Every manager’s primary responsibility is to get work done through others. If a manager makes poor hiring decisions, then she can never expect to manage productively. Too many bad hires lead to lost productivity and may indicate that the manager is not suitable for management status.<\/p>\n Internships, the New First Job<\/p>\n Internships give you a frame of reference for the professional world and experience that sets you apart from almost all the other candidates for your entry-level job. The internship experience shows commitment, maturity, and knowledge of workplace protocols such as professional dress and behavior. You can also demonstrate that you understand that a career starts on the bottom rung of the ladder and an entry-level job is a necessary foundation for future success. <\/p>\n You should pursue internships throughout your college experience (better late than never!), but the sooner you start, the longer track record you will create and the better able you will be to distance yourself from other contenders for the jobs you want.<\/p>\n While there is honor in all work, your occupation and the companies that employ you convey status. Everyone wants to be associated with a respected company, and internships are how you start differentiating yourself. The internships you land depend largely on your academic record, demonstrated ability to communicate in a respectful and professional manner, and the organizations or campus societies you volunteer for or join. The organizations represent the closest experience you have of being part of a team working together toward a common end\u2014offering indications of your behavior and performance as a team member in a department. Many times, I’ve heard college recruiters say that by the time on-campus career days come around, they’ve already made their most important choices based on candidates’ activity in certain campus organizations.<\/p>\n Any Experience Trumps No Experience<\/p>\n From the hiring manager’s perspective, any work experience is better than none. Any job, however humble, gives you a track record and speaks to the behaviors, protocols and team member responsibilities we have discussed.<\/p>\n When you have been around the world of work long enough, you’ll recognize that, apart from the specific technical skills of the job, all jobs are pretty much the same in that they exist to anticipate and prevent problems that impact productivity and to deal with those problems efficiently when they inevitably arise. You can use examples of how you’ve accomplished this to differentiate yourself at job interviews.<\/p>\n Think of any work you have done this way, whether it’s for a prestigious Wall Street firm or fast-food restaurant, and you have something in common with the most successful professionals\u2014a key understanding that almost none of your peers have, which gives you a distinct edge.<\/p>\n Your professional career is not in the future; it is here today. Go grab it before someone else does.<\/p>\n Have a question for Martin? E-mail your queries to <\/em>YourCareerQA@shrm.org<\/em><\/a>. We’ll only publish your first name and city, unless you prefer to remain anonymous\u2014just let us know. We look forward to hearing from you!<\/em><\/p>\n Was this article useful? SHRM offers thousands of tools, templates and other exclusive member benefits, including compliance updates, sample policies, HR expert advice, education discounts, a growing online member community and much more. <\/em>Join\/Renew Now<\/em><\/a> and let SHRM help you work smarter.<\/em><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n
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