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In today’s competitive economy, recent graduates may be tempted to settle for the first job that comes their way. But are they making a mistake?

In a weekly series from , Professor Bruce Kidd, former Olympian and the warden of Hart House, recently shared tips on how to build a career that’s more deliberate than desperate.

Three Steps To A Great Career

If you’re graduating soon, you’re probably eager to get started on your professional path. Maybe you’re concerned about looming student loan payments. Maybe you want to prove that it was worthwhile to invest all this effort and time and money into U of T.

But if you can afford to be patient – if you can take the time to develop the right strategy – you will be rewarded in the long term. After all, great careers are more akin to a marathon than a frantic sprint. Run too fast, and you’re more likely to end up in a dead end of a job.

Plan ahead, be selective, keep your goal in mind, and you will be successful.

First, make a stronger candidate out of yourself– one who stands out among your peers. This is where co-curricular activities like come in handy. Think about it – given a choice between two Commerce graduates, would you not choose the one who has purchased soon-to-be Canadian art masterpieces, planned major campus-wide events, or hosted a dialogue with the likes of Noam Chomsky or Pico Iyer? (Also, according to Professor Kidd, many alumni end up in careers that emanate from the passions that they discovered while taking a Hart House class or .)

Second, realize that your first job is much more than a quick way to make money or to fill a line on your resumé: it’s the stepping stone for a series of increasingly better jobs down the line. So ask yourself where you want to be in five years and work backwards from that. Do not consider any potential jobs until they give you the skills and experience to advance your career plan. Once you’ve determined what kinds of positions match your criteria, contact the appropriate companies—even if they’re not hiring.

“Find out who your manager might be and ask for an interview. This won’t always work, but if they do give you the time of the day, you’re more likely to be remembered next time they have an opening,” says Kidd.

Third, when you attend job interviews, keep in mind you’re not the only one being interviewed.

"It goes both ways,” says Kidd. “You owe it to yourself to ask questions and do your best to determine whether that’s a place you want to be a part of, one whose culture matches yours and where you’re confident you can do good work.”