But now it’s time to put the .edu in your memory chest, so to speak, and use a permanent e-mail address that reflects who you are now – a young professional! Here’s why:

Employers May Contact You After You’ve Left School

Okay, so it’s been two months since you sent out a résumé, and you haven’t heard anything back. I mean, it’s been so long that you hardly remember sending it. Surely the employer has forgotten as well, right? Not necessarily. Employers may want to contact you a year, even two years after you expressed interest.

There are any number of reasons for this. For example, they may not have needed someone with your skill set at the time they received your résumé, but they could have put it in a file they periodically review when they have openings. A permanent address insures they will still be able to contact you.

.EDU E-Mail Addresses Brand You as a Student

What’s wrong with being a student? Absolutely nothing! In fact, employers want to hire young people with the latest training and education and the freshest ideas. But at the same time, you want them to think of you as a professional engaged in the work force rather than a student writing papers in school. A permanent e-mail address helps employers identify you as a young professional.

It’s Time to Party!

While this may be a great rallying call after your graduation ceremony, it’s definitely not the first thing you want a potential employer to see from you. So choose a regular, professional e-mail name. I know employers who will not even open an e-mail sent from somebody like PartyGirl@World.com, or OzzyRocks@World.com.

Remember, an employer does not know you yet, and your e-mail address is often the first impression you make!

Always Include an E-Mail Subject Line

Think about it – how likely are you to read e-mails with no subject line from someone you don’t know? Not very, right? Well, neither are working professionals. So include a subject line on all your outgoing e-mails, or they’re likely to end-up in the recipient’s trash box, never even viewed.

Personally, I like action-oriented subject lines like “Networking Request from Duke Student.” Headlines like this will help grab the recipient’s attention and make it more likely that your message will get read.

Address the Recipient

Does it seem weird to write “Dear Mr. Jones?” Well, it does to me sometimes too! So you can skip the “Dear” if you’d like, but don’t skip the person. Always begin your e-mail with the recipient’s name, and, if they have one, title.

Dr. Jones, Professor Smith, Admiral Brown – addressing people by their title actually tells them something about you. It says that you know how to treat people with respect. It says an employer can count on you to treat clients right.

If the person has no specific title, then Mr. or Ms. are fine. And if you do not have a specific contact person, you can address the department, for example: To Human Resources.

Proofread for Grammar and Punctuation

Nothing will destroy your credibility faster than writing riddled with grammatical errors. I mean, you’re a college student or graduate, right? You know how to write correctly, so be sure to do it.

Personal e-mails can ignore grammatical rules, but with professional e-mails, always follow proper punctuation, capitalization, and other standard rules of grammar. Do not try to entertain with abbreviations or jokes. You want the recipient to take you seriously. And always proofread before sending. Look at something else for a minute, and then look back at the e-mail to insure that the recipient’s name, any contact information, and all spelling and grammar are correct.

Include Your E-Mail Signature

Working professionals always attach e-mail signatures, and so should you! I think this is so important that I’ve even written a short article on “Why You Must Have a Professional E-Mail Signature.” If you don’t already have one, check that out!

Insert the Recipient’s E-Mail Address Last

We’ve all hit “Send” accidentally, right? And we’ve all seen or heard horror stories about people accidentally sending nasty e-mails about their boss – to their boss! You can easily avoid this potential deal-breaker by always inserting the recipient’s address last, not first. Do this after proofreading, and make it the last thing you do before hitting “Send.”

Well, a professional e-mail signature is like your personal electronic pop-up – it helps people remember you.
Here’s what to include in an e-mail signature, plus three good reasons why you must have one.

What Belongs in an E-Mail Signature

Always list your name, phone number, and e-mail address. If you have a title, list that too, right after your name. You may think it’s too “small” to identify yourself as, say, a treasurer of a sorority when you’re sending an e-mail to someone in the great big corporate world – but trust me, it’s important! It shows that you identify yourself with a job.

So an e-mail signature might look like this:

Jane Doe
President, Duke University Marketing Association
555-555-1212
Jane.Doe@World.com

(See an additional suggestion below, under “Networking”)

Why Have an E-Mail Signature?

So Employers Can Easily Contact You

A signature ensures that any employer can reach you any time in any situation.
It is not always the case that someone can return an e-mail to you simply by hitting “Reply.” A friend of yours may have forwarded your résumé to someone else, or maybe one employer has forwarded it to another. Never make employers work to find you. Instead, they should simply be able to scroll down and click on the e-mail address in your signature.

Because It’s Great for Networking

In addition to your basic contact information that I listed above, you can also add a brief “tag” line that tells people – at a glance – something about the work you are seeking.

Jane Doe, 2008 Graduate Seeking Marketing Position
President, Duke University Marketing Association
555-555-1212
Jane.Doe@World.com

With the tag line, every single person who sees your e-mail will also notice your purpose in sending it – and you never know who might end up helping you!

It Reminds People of Who You Are

And in the end, this reminder is the overall purpose of an e-signature: providing it means you can be reached easily, that you’ve got an at-a-glance picture of your overall purpose, and that this information is distributed to everyone who opens the e-mail. It all adds up being remembered!

Yet a trainer is a major part of every team, someone who advises the coach on many key decisions.

It is often the same with hiring managers and receptionists. And just like an athlete is smart to nurture a good relationship with their trainer, you will be a step ahead if you start your relationship with a company by showing some basic courtesy to their receptionist. Here’s why:

Interviews Begin the Moment You Step Into the Building

We may be so excited or anxious about our interview that we miss what could be a key “pre-interview” first impression: meeting the receptionist. You would be surprised at how many hiring managers rely on assistants and receptionists for opinions about potential hires. In fact, some employers trust a receptionist’s evaluation more than their own!

Even the simplest “she seemed nice” from an assistant to a hiring manager could be a key factor in making your interview a success.

So, be friendly to everyone in the building, from security people to office personnel to other visitors. Look everyone in the eye, and smile when you greet them.

Hey, even if you don’t get the job – it never hurts to be courteous!

Employers Are Looking for Friendly Employees

Okay, so it’s not like an army of office staff are secretly watching your every move on a stockpile of cameras stashed behind a one-way mirror.

But still, hiring managers are very conscious of how an employee will reflect on the company. They know you are going to be nice to them. So they are likely to pay attention to how you treat others – like their receptionist.

So, the next time you’re waiting to be called in for your interview, engage those around you in conversation, even if only for a moment. You never know who might have some influence in landing you the position – plus it’s always great for networking.

Be Kind on the Phone Too

Say you make a follow-up call to see if a resume has been received. The receptionist may be the one who determines whether your resume sits in the “in box” for two weeks or goes straight to the employer. You often have no control over such matters, but you always want to give yourself the best chance – so be polite to the person answering your call. Also, in exchanging a pleasantry or two, the receptionist may share valuable information with you about the job.

Why? Because you share something in common – your school, their alma mater. And one of the keys to networking is sharing something in common with the person you want to connect with.

So get involved with your campus alumni association as early on in your college career as possible. You’ll build strong relationships with people who are interested in jump-starting the careers of individuals just like you!

“And exactly how do I become an active alum before I graduate” you ask? Well there is so much to say on this topic that I’ve dedicated an entire article to it. So check it out – it’s titled “4 Steps to Becoming Active Alum Even Before You Graduate.”

Why’s that? Because alumni are excellent “insider” sources of career info, advice and opportunities. And fortunately, most of them love connecting with current students. You share an automatic bond — you belong to the same club.

As a member of that club, you’ll find that alumni are willing, if not downright eager, to connect you to other people or opportunities that might help you in your career.

So how do you make this work for you now? Here are four quick tips to get your alumni network up and running.

Step 1: Join Your Alumni Association Now

Yep, join now before you even graduate. It’s usually as easy as signing up online, where you’re likely to find databases of alumni that actually want to be contacted by students. That should alleviate your fear of cold-calling perfect strangers!

And if you’re thinking of moving — or even just wondering what job opportunities are like in a different area — be sure to tap into the geographic alumni chapters. Who better to give you the inside scoop on the city and its job prospects than the people who live and work there?

Well-developed alumni networks often have special-interest groups, too. You can connect with other people who share your passions — professional, personal or otherwise.

Step 2: Participate in Annual Phone Banks

Most colleges enlist students to call graduates for donations once or twice a year. For alums, just hearing those younger voices tends to triggers such warm-fuzzy nostalgia that they can’t help but donate. And that sense of shared experience also means that the person on the other end of the line is probably more than happy to talk to you about your plans for life after college.

Even if you don’t make any hot contacts, it’s a good way to practice professional, interpersonal communication. (Plus, there’s usually free food, so at least you’ll go home with a full belly!)

Step 3: Volunteer to Speak on Admission Panels

Parents of prospective students are great networking contacts, so consider participating in admission panels. You’ll get a chance to showcase your leadership skills (not to mention public speaking abilities), and connect with successful adults who just might have a connection you could use.

Even better are alumni admission panels — a great way to “give back” to your school and serve as a school representative.

Step 4: Work Annual Reunions

And by work, I mean both network and work. Every school needs student volunteers for class reunions, so sign up and help out. You might be surprised how much fun it is, on top of its networking potential.

In other words, networking doesn’t have to be work. Have some fun while you’re making seriously valuable connections — connections that just might help you land a great job.

Of course, my good friend has other things going for her. For one, she has great clarity about her career goals and how they tie to her vision for the world. She is clear about the knowledge and skills she has and how she needs to develop. As well, she is starting to invest time in discerning her personal brand - the unique promise of value that will be the foundation for her career. I know Alexis will make her mark and she will make it early in her career.

What about you? What are you doing to establish yourself in your career and make your mark?

If you’re not sure what to do, a good place to start is with a little introspection. Here are some questions to answer for yourself:

- What was it that motivated me to select my major in the first place?

- How does my major relate to my top values?

- What am I most passionate about? What things do I enjoy doing so much, I’d get out of bed at 5:00 a.m. on a Saturday to do them?

- How can I make a difference in the world? Who do I want to work with and who will benefit from the work I do?

As you begin to answer these questions, you gain insights into what will drive your success. You can then develop meaningful career goals that will help you stand out and make your mark early.

My guest blogger is Walter Akana, a Life Strategist and Certified Personal Branding Strategist who specializes in career success. He works primarily with mid-career individuals who want to achieve more self direction in their careers and lives. With his perspective, he can offer you great coaching to help you launch your own career! Learn about theservices he offers and read his blog notes at his new Threshold Consulting fan page on Facebook; or visit his website at www.threshold-consulting.com.

Actually, a personal brand is not an image you create. Lots of people believe this and act on it, only to realize it takes a lot of energy to maintain their facade. No, a personal brand needs to be authentic. A strong personal brand is your unique promise of value, and it exists at the intersection of who you are and how people see you.

You can figure out who you are by uncovering your values, passions, vision, and purpose, and by determining what career and life goals these point to. Done well, you can end up with a picture of what you will enjoy doing, who you will want to work with and serve, and how you can make a difference. Ideally, you’ll also uncover what you want to devote yourself to over the long run.

But what about how people see you? How do you uncover that?

You could ask directly for feedback. If you do, be prepared to get a mix of responses that may or may not be helpful in figuring out your qualities. And be prepared to be misled. Fact is, when asked for direct feedback, most people will filter it in a way that has more to do with their own image than yours.

The better way to go is to use an objective assessment tool like 360 Reach (http://www.reachcc.com/360reach). The instrument asks people for candid feedback about your main attributes, your best skills, your strengths and weaknesses, and the role you best fill. It also uses fun projective exercises (that compare you to a car and to a breakfast cereal) to help interpret the rest of the data. What’s more, the people you ask to participate are guaranteed anonymity - so they can be perfectly (even brutally) honest.

You can interpret the results yourself, but it really helps to hire a Personal Branding Specialist to help you interpret the 360 data and uncover its relationship to what you know about yourself and your career goals. Invest in the process and you can unlock your personal brand and use it to build your career success.

My guest blogger is Walter Akana, a Life Strategist and Certified Personal Branding Strategist who specializes in career success. He works primarily with mid-career individuals who want to achieve more self direction in their careers and lives. With his perspective, he can offer you great coaching to help you launch your own career! Learn about the services he offers and read his blog notes at his new Threshold Consulting fan page on Facebook; or visit his website at www.threshold-consulting.com.

So, I have been there and know exactly what kind of stress you are experiencing right now about your career search. But the good news is that I survived my first career search! In fact, I’ve made it through several searches and have learned some valuable lessons along the way that I’d like to share with you:

1. Get rid of the mentality that a career is a way of “saving your life.” I cannot tell you how many times I’ve heard a student tell me “if I just get this one job then everything will be fine.” You need to remember a job is just that – a job – and it cannot bring you complete happiness so don’t treat it like it will.
2. Stop thinking of your first career search and job as a destination and start thinking of it as part of a life-long journey. Your first job will more than likely not be your last so stop trying to find that “perfect” position because you’ll only drive yourself crazy searching for it.
3. Relax about the career choices you have to make. If you try something and don’t like it, you can always try something else!
4. Get organized and create an action plan to help keep you on track (or hire me to do it for you!) This really helps when you feel like you have too much to do and not enough time to do it!

And, without a résumé, it can be very difficult for you to compete with other candidates who will have one and, if it’s not well-written, then it could eliminate you from consideration for that position you’ve always wanted before you even get the chance to interview!

What’s more is that your résumé doesn’t stop helping you once you land an interview. In fact, landing you the interview is just the tip of the iceberg. When you’re in the interview is when you’ll really see your résumé kick into action – it will serve as your guide to having a great interview!

So, how does your résumé do all this?

Let me answer that with an quick story. I had a client come see me with a mediocre résumé - it was well-formatted, but lacked effective statements.

For example, he stated that he “performed due diligence” but, after some chit-chat, I discovered that what he really did was perform “extensive due diligence on the biotechnology and pharmaceuticals industries.” And in doing this, he “developed a comprehensive sets of questions and interviewed industry executives,” “leveraged Capital IQ, 10 Wizard, and Edgar to better understand industry trends and cycles,” and “compiled Synopsis Reports based on research that were utilized by managing partners to learn about industries.”

Now, if I were interviewing you and your résumé only stated that you “performed due diligence,” I could only ask you a limited number of questions like “tell me about what you did to research.”

But if your résumé featured more detailed statements like in the example above, I would be able to ask you more targeted questions like “tell me the most interesting fact you learned about the pharmaceuticals industry” or “what was the most difficult part about interviewing industry executives?”

And the more targeted the question your interviewer asks you, the more targeted you can make your response. So who do you think is going to have the better interview? And who do you think the interviewer will think is the more qualified?

The point is your résumé is a very valuable document – so be sure to either spend time to make it over or invest in one that is professionally-written!