So you’ve graduated—now what?

You’ve swept up the confetti, recycled the beverage containers and got the worst of the stains out of the carpet, so now that the graduation party is over, here are eight things you can do to get your job search on track:

Bear down on your search. Think through your next steps, clarify where you want to go. What is it that you want to do with the next few years of your life? Use books like “What Color is Your Parachute” is that is your style, or use people like a friend or significant other who will ask you the right questions about your direction.

Polish your LinkedIn profile. Oh? OK—set up your LinkedIn profile. Decide what you want to say about yourself; pick some key themes from your resume. Remember you are building your brand, so there are some things you can do in LinkedIn to remind people you are out there. For instance, post a status update about once a week to keep your name top of mind. Post a professional photo! That way when you ask people to link with you, they can be reminded of what you look like. You are more likely to build connections with a photo than without one.

Visit your career coordinator in the Career Services Center. You can bat around ideas, review your resume, and get help with job search strategies. Talk about the two basic questions everyone must answer: what do you want to do and where do you want to do it.

Finalize your resume with your coordinator’s help.

Review CSUcareerline employer contacts by searching by industry or specific company. Contacts’ phone numbers and email addresses will be right there.

Look for networking events that might appeal to you. Professional groups publish calendars on their websites, so you should be able to find some very specific events for your interests as well as more general events with a wide appeal.

Do a mock interview. It will help you with the real thing, as well as prepare you for networking opportunities. If you are introverted, it is even more important to practice talking to strangers.

Finally, make your job search your job. Treat it like a regular job by spending thirty hours a week on it. Plan your day with perhaps Internet research in the morning, letter writing and resume mailing in the evening, with the afternoons free for information interviews and networking events.