Graduation will come sooner than you know it and your future will be at your fingertips. Are you prepared? Have you set yourself up for success? Or are you leaving college with just some good memories, and a degree? Have you visited your school counselor? Have you completed any internships? Is your resume completed and up to date? Hopefully you have properly prepared yourself for life after graduation, but if you have yet to do that, then take these small pieces of advice and start now before it is too late.

There are a number of things you can do to prepare yourself for life after graduation. The earlier you start preparing, the better you will be, but it is also never to late to start. Here is a checklist of items that you should have before leaving college that can help you secure a job before graduation.

1. BUILD YOUR RESUME. In college there are many resources you can use to help build your resume. Sororities and Fraternities are great to put on your resume. If pledging for one is in your college plan, definitely use that to your advantage. Clubs and organizations are great to join because its shows that you’re involved and can multitask a number of activities and school work. Internships are also great for resumes. They showcase that you have had experience in your field and you have received college credit for them as well. Your resume needs to look professional, so while you are in college, use any resource you can to help you build a strong one that stands out among the crowd.

2. LAND AN INTERNSHIP. Internships are an amazing experience to have. They allow you to get experience in your desired field while earning college credits. There are great opportunities during this time to make connections with people that you can use to your advantage after you graduate. Networking at an internship can really help you land a job after college, so making a good impression at the internship is very important. Another reason why internships are great is because they really boost the quality of your resume. Work experience is priceless, especially when landing a job is harder than ever before.

3. APPLY BEFORE GRADUATION. Get a head start on the competition. Look around for jobs in your field and send out that resume! It is important to get a jump start because having a job before or right after you get that college degree is much better than graduating and then starting to look. Another thing to think about is how many people you are graduating with that havewith the same degree as you -and that is just at your college, now multiply that by how many colleges are in the entire United States. Whatever that number may be, it is definitely huge, which means that many people are after the same jobs as you. That small head start could be all the difference.

Taking these small steps before graduation can really make a difference in your future. Use your college resources to your best advantage. You might as well get your money’s worth. Contact your college’s career center and start planning your future today.