Some students waste their time in college. You probably know a few of them, students who do not value the opportunity that they were given. To students like this, college is not serious business. Rather, it is simply a time to have some fun. Because these students fail to appreciate the fact that they must use the college years to shape their futures, they will never get around to doing the things that employers want and expect.



These students are not focused on graduating with a job. Instead, they will fritter away their time on midweek parties, video games, frisbee golf and collecting barnyard animals for a social network. Do you know of any employer who will be impressed by those activities?



When you speak with a student who is wasting his time, you will find that he has a simple strategy:

• - Do as little as possible


• - Avoid hard work


• - Take advantage of friends


• - Fool instructors


• - Manipulate the system


• - Maximize his personal fun

You will also learn that he:

• - Does not attend early morning classes


• - Sits in the back and sleeps or cracks jokes


• - Crams for tests


• - Cheats where he can


• - Buys his term papers


• - Lets others handle group projects


• - Avoids the Library


• - Does not let bad grades bother him


• - Picks on the Nerds


• - Does not have time for job-related, campus clubs and activities


• - Hangs out in the student lounge, the cafeteria or the dorm


• - Never misses a good party


• - Can not be bothered with part-time or summer jobs


• - Says he already knows what he needs to know


• - Unrealistically expects to select from 3 or 4 good job offers

He will also say things like this:

• - References do not matter


• - Employers do not expect students to accomplish much in college


• - There is no need to prepare for interviews


• - He will get by on his good looks and personality


• - Nobody uses the information they learn in college

Students who navigate their way through college like this are not responding to the call for greatness. Nobody will hire a student who has ignored the needs, wants and expectations of employers. Employers do not care that the student won the taco eating contest or has perfected his skills on the air guitar. They are looking for serious, mature, productive students with solid business, technical, communication and specialized skills who have used their college years to demonstrate that they can:

• - Learn and Grow


• - Achieve Positive Results


• - Get Things Done


• - Solve Problems


• - Prevent Problems


• - Improve Something


• - Save Time


• - Increase Speed


• - Lead Others


• - Communicate Effectively


• - Overcome Obstacles


• - Make Money


• - Sell Products and Services


• - Reduce Costs


• - Exhibit Creativity


• - Work Hard and Long


• - Accept Responsibility


• - Build Relationships


• - Work In A Team Environment


• - Support A Goal, A Plan and A Leader


• - Exceed Expectations

The activities we choose and the effort we put into them will determine our results. For most students, it is really that simple. Therefore, when students choose activities that lead to employment opportunities and perform to the best of their abilities, they are quite likely to find a good job. However, when students fail to utilize their college years to impress potential employers, they will stand little chance of landing any job.



Disinterested and disconnected students may loudly complain that nobody will give them a job. By now, the reason should be clear to everyone. They have not earned one.