Although you're throwing off the cap and gown and heading off to a corporate environment it doesn't mean you will no longer have to impress the ?instructor' ? so to speak. Now it's your boss you'll need to impress?wait a minute, not just the boss, but also a whole plethora of people in your new company.

Pretty soon you'll be dreaming about the days you used to crawl out of the sack, throw on a sack and slip in to class just as things were starting to roll. As long as you did the reading, tossed in some good essays and passed the exams you were fine.

So, now that you're not a student anymore, what's next?

1st ? show up! Yes, I mean show up for your job search. Maybe you were lucky enough to land a job while still in college, but if not this is the time that you need to put your research skills to the road. Get involved, highly involved in all things job related. Make sure you've got a well-written, up to date (fast reading layout) resume. If you're not sure about your resume have it reviewed by a professional resume writer. It is worth it. Pick several organizations to join and begin networking. Go to their meetings, volunteer to contribute your time and energy ? meet people. These connections are valuable and may be the inroad to your new job.

2nd ? make a positive impression! I know you won't go to your interview dressed like you would for a college class, or even show up for your job that way (I can count on that, right?). My point here is, be sure that you always keep your appearance one level above the current level you are in. Dress for success. Whether you're interviewing or ready to start your new job, always give the impression that you are ready to be promoted to the next level.

3rd ? bone up on your writing skills! School is one thing; corporate America is another when it comes to whom you communicate with through writing. Be professional in all your job-related email correspondence. Do not use short ?text' type messaging phrases or spelling (such as ?R' for are, or ?biz' for business, or ?U' for you). And always think about your audience before you write. Are you sending something to a coworker you know well and have lunch with everyday? Or, are you sending something to the Vice President of Engineering who you've only had a few business interactions with, if any. In either case, your writing style will be much different. Remember that your email (or memo) may be forwarded to other individuals higher than you or even outside the organization. The best practice, when it comes to your career, is to always take a professional approach with all business correspondence. Written correspondence is another area that will give people an ?impression' of Y-O-U. Just as you speak differently to different audiences, equally you must write differently too. Take time to research best practices and tips for business writing and you will be glad you did.

4th ? get with the organization's culture! This means that you need to pay attention to how things are happening in the work environment. Is it a casual, friendly environment where people come and go as needed/desired? Or, are people working through lunch and staying late and not socializing much? Is it more ?nose to the grindstone' oriented, or a ?let's decide as a team' type atmosphere? How do people present themselves? How does the company view personal calls, or use of the Internet? What do they think about eating in the work area? What are their safety policies and job performance policies? In other words, how does the company operate and what are the tastes and preferences of the organization? Know these and make an effort to adapt and blend with the cultural norms of the organization.

5th ? Dig What You Do! This is a key element to keep in mind throughout your career. It is one of the most important phrases to keep in the forefront of your mind regarding how you think and feel about your career. Since your career can pollute your personal life (and vice versa!), it is important to work in an environment you love and perform a job that makes you feel proud and happy to get out of bed every day. Not to say you won't have bad days. You will. But, if the majority of them are bad, or you do not fit the culture, or you loathe showing up for your job, then you need to reassess and possibly make a change. Don't stay in a bad job simply because the discomfort of it is familiar. Everyone deserves to Dig What They Do! And that includes Y-O-U.