Do what you love and love what you do

Another year of Intern Recruiting Weekend has passed and we have chosen yet another batch of road warriors for the 2011 season. This year’s candidates were as qualified as ever, coming in with a wide range of professional experience and a lot to offer the Association.

This year was my fourth IRW, second as a full-time staff member, and I couldn’t help but reflect on my college days, wondering where I would end up, who I would be working for and where I would be living. There are a lot of uncertainties at that stage in young adult lives, and the struggling economy certainly doesn’t ease the anxiety that comes along with interviewing for a position. I’m no expert but I have been through the process and have now had the chance to be on the other side of the interviewing table. For those of you entering college or job searching, I have come up with a few things I feel are important:

Utilize your resources. Take a look at your network. Who around you can help you get to where you want to be in your professional career? Pick their brain, make them a mentor and see who else they know. College students - go to your campus Career Center. Trust me... just go.

Be yourself. Everything else will fall into place. You don’t want to end up at an organization where your style of work doesn’t fit in or you can’t adopt that organization’s culture.

Most importantly... Do what you love. I’m sure you’ve heard it before, but don’t take a job for the money or the status. Take a job because you are ready to be invested in that position. The same goes for choosing a college major. Make these choices for no one but yourself. Your overall livelihood will prosper if you do that for yourself.

-Kristi Bradley, AJGA Communications