How can your student get the best return on your investment in their college education—a good job and launch into their first career?

Good grades and the right major are important blocks in the foundation of finding a job after graduation. There are, however, other steps students can take to increase their value to potential employers.

• Do an internship. Maybe the most important thing a student can do is find an internship—get real work experience in the field. Many employers look within their own internship programs when they need to fill entry-level positions.

That means, if a student does a good job while in an internship, they may get a job offer from that organization. And, while an internship could be the foot-in-the-door that a new grad needs, it also gives a student a realistic look at the prospective job, company, and career.

• Go to the career center. Research shows that tapping into the resources offered by the career center can increase the likelihood of getting a job offer.

While career coaches won’t “place” a student in a job, they teach students skills that will help them find their way onto and up the career ladder. They teach students how to put together winning resumes and cover letters, how to interview successfully, and how to dress professionally. They critique resumes, practice interview techniques, and field job listings. Services at the campus career center are free.

Plus, career coaches know the employers that hire on their college campuses—they work with them on a regular basis—and can put a student in touch with the organizations looking for new hires.

• Start the job-search process early.
  • Begin with career exploration in the first year to identify majors and careers of interest.
  • Start exploring internship opportunities. What’s better than an internship the summer after junior year? Multiple internships. First and second year students may find internships too.
  • Get ready to be recruited in the fall. Employers in many industries do many of their interviews—for internships and entry-level positions—in the fall. And while employers interview in the spring, it’s best to be an early bird.

Adapted from the following source to use inclusive language: Courtesy of the National Association of Colleges and Employers.