Kathleen Voss: Congratulations. You earned your degree and got the great new job you worked so hard to obtain. You can afford an apartment (or at least your own room in an apartment) and the meals and clothes you have not been able to purchase as a college student. What else is there to do besides start working and enjoy the benefits? Update your resume and your professional profile on LinkedIn and Indeed!

According to Forbes Magazine, while post COVID job openings are on the rise and employers are investing in recruiting at high rates, which you probably benefited from in your search, data shows that termination rates among workers under 25 were 79% higher than those for older demographics last year. Further, new employees choose to leave first jobs frequently, for reasons such as low pay, poor work environment and feeling disrespected, according to Pew Research. The bottom line is this: you may not be staying where you landed for long…but the rent will still be due each month.

These realities make it imperative that new graduates keep their networks active and their online resumes updated. Stay in touch with professors and career placement contacts at your college who you may need to contact for help with a new search, and keep in mind that they will be impressed that you are doing so since most of your peers never follow up to say thanks for the assistance. Dedicate 30 minutes per week to researching companies you were interested in that didn’t offer opportunities you were qualified for before you graduated…now that you have some experience, it will be worth it to watch for job postings. And add non-work experiences to your resume that will continue to differentiate you, such as volunteer work and professional associations.

The point is not to worry or dwell on negative possibilities. Rather, keep your skills and capabilities updated so that recruiters can find you, even if you don’t need to look. A few minutes each week may become very valuable if you do decide to look, or need to look, for a new job.

As the saying goes…Be Prepared.

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