6 Career Tips for College Students from Author Alexandra Levit

Author and consultant Alexandra Levit gave six career tips to students at the University of Maryland’s Robert H. Smith School of Business on Dec. 5, 2014. The workshop was sponsored by the school’s Office of Career Services (OCS) and targeted at graduate students in specialty masters programs.

Levit, author of the best-seller “They Don’t Teach Corporate in College,” encouraged students to re-evaluate their career goals. “A career is a journey, not a destination,” she said, asking them to write down something old, something new, something borrowed, and something they blew in communicating with others.

During her presentation, Levit offered six career tips for college students:

(1) Act like Michelle (Obama) – have a professional persona, you only have three seconds to make a first impression;

(2) Step away from the smart phone – your boss may not want to receive texts from you, so find out how to best communicate;

(3) Network and work the room – ask your new connections for something specific, and follow-up;

(4) Find and keep mentors – find a highly placed advocate;

(5) Don’t let emotions get the best of you – prepare for stressful situations in advance and look out for the “shoulds” and rephrase them because life is not always fair, logical, or flexible;

(6) Don’t start your own business yet – make mistakes on someone else’s watch.

Prior to the presentation, students were able to join a networking lunch with Levit. After the presentation, she led a Q&A session offering personalized advice.

Find out additional details on Twitter: #LevitAtSmith

Alissa Arford, Office of Marketing Communications