I always knew I would come home after college. I had a girlfriend that I loved and eventually married. I had close relationships with my family and I loved the area. I went away to college and virtually ignored the people that I had grown up with for four years.
I was very fortunate to find a career (financial advice) that afforded me the opportunity to earn a great living near my hometown, working with many people that helped mentor me as I was growing up. I realized soon after graduation that my career would have progressed faster had I taken a different approach.
I often wonder what I would do differently if I had known what I know now. I thought I would share a few tips for high school and college students who think they would like to come home after college, too.
These tips will help you think differently about your options, and taking even a few of these steps will help you stand out in the minds of influential people in your community.
- As a high school journalism student, get to know local businesses and their owners. Thank them for their ad business in a unique way and show them that you are committed to making their investment a valuable one. Ask them for suggestions and implement them.
- Interview, interview, interview. Start building your network while you can afford to do nothing but build your network. You can do this in a variety of ways, but realize that the closer you get to graduating and needing a job, the less likely influential people in your desired field will be to want to talk to you. Get out and talk to the big dogs in high school and the first few years of college, keep them posted on your progress and ask for feedback and advice on a regular basis.
- Spend the summer before your senior year in high school (or any other summer) talking to business owners about what they do for a living and what their plans are for retirement / transition / succession. Find out what they’re most afraid of and most excited about (in that order).
- When you’re finished with your interviews, write a story about a local business that is successful. Submit it to your school paper and the local newspaper. If it gets published, print the article and have it framed. Later, you can present it to the business owner.
These are just a few of thousands of ways you can begin to influence the perception decision-makers in your community have of you. Especially if you’re into journalism, or writing in general, you have a real opportunity to make a lasting impression if you’re willing to put in the time and effort.
As an advisor, coach and local leader, Jeremy Overton has spent the last 12 years educating and motivating individuals, families, and business owners who are interested in having a greater impact on their communities, the people they love, and the causes they support. You can connect with him on: Google+