Graduating from an undergraduate program is a huge achievement! But as graduation inches closer, many students find they don’t have a clear plan for what’s next. In order to succeed as a working professional, proper planning is essential.

Need some insight and advice on how to prepare for a post-college career? Read on for some tips for the job search, interviewing, and how to best utilize key resources at your disposal.

Now more than ever, remote learning and working are becoming increasingly prevalent in our world, and with that comes a demand for more instructional designers. What is an instructional designer? You could call them the masterminds behind remote schooling and professional training. Instructional designers work with industry experts to translate their knowledge of the subject or job into a palpable online learning experience.

You probably never thought of it, but the ancient Olympics and Disney’s Electric Light Parade didn’t just happen. These events required skilled event planners to come off without a hitch.

Despite the fact that the event profession as we know it today is a relatively new field of study, for as long as we can remember—and even before that—people have been coming together to gather and feast. Back to the ancient Olympics in Greece: Even back then, someone had to organize the pagan festival and sacrificing of 34 oxen and the following athletic competitions among city-states, right?

Before graduating from college and pursuing my career in content production (and before I started writing for Career Catalyst!), I spent my nights and weekends working in restaurants. I worked in several roles — both in the front and back of the house — and I learned some amazing resume-building lessons as a result. Even though I went on to work in a completely different industry, I’ll always have an appreciation and understanding of what it takes to bring a great dining
experience to a patron. Also, I learned some skills that are still relevant in my current role.

Have you ever met people at work with whom you really got along well? Have you ever met people at work with whom you don’t? What causes these great differences?  Too often, we are expecting others to be just like us. When they fail to meet our expectations, we decide we don’t like to work with them. It would be so much easier if the people we worked with just all behaved the same. It would be easier if they listened to what we wanted to tell them, acted in the ways we expected, and thought about things in the same ways we did. It would be easier — but it will never happen.

If you’ve ever thought about how you can make your work a happier place, you’ve got it all backward. According to Johnson & Wales organizational psychology professor and online instructor, Scott Lyons Ed.D., happiness at work is an effect of a greater cause. “I come from the school of thought that organizations can be misguided if they are searching for happiness rather than good health or a positive organizational culture,” Lyons said.

Johnson & Wales’ College of Online Education is proud to welcome our new dean, David Cartwright!

Hear from Dean Dave himself in the video below, and connect with Dean Dave on Twitter and Instagram @JWUDeanDave. 

In her commencement speech to the Johnson & Wales University Providence Class of 2019, Cindi Bigelow, president and CEO of Bigelow Tea, said that she jokingly tried to “boil down” (tea pun intended) what she had learned in her life and career, in an attempt to answer the audience’s questions . . .

What is my next step?

How can I be successful?

How can I live a balanced life?

“Project management is the art and science of making things happen,” says J.D. Meier, author of Getting Results the Agile Way. And there’s never been a greater need on a global scale for skilled, innovative project management professionals who can drive change and make things happen. And that need is only going to grow over coming years.

The warmth of a crackling fire while watching snow fall outside your window … the spritz of fresh fruit when you take the first bite …the serenity of snuggling under a comforter to watch a movie classic … the joy felt when meeting a friend for conversation and coffee or any favorite beverage. All of these promote relaxation and a necessary respite from our all too busy lives.