College to Career:
What Smart Students
Do Differently

College is about more than a diploma. It’s about what happens next.

And if you wait until senior year to figure that out, you’ve already missed a big part of the opportunity.

In a recent conversation with three national experts on career development and workforce readiness, one message came through loud and clear:

The best career paths don’t start after graduation—they start on day one.

Here are three takeaways every student (and parent) should know about the college-to-career journey—and how to get it right.

1. Career Success Starts Freshman Year

Lindsay Pollak, author of Getting from College to Career, calls it the “four-year plan.” Students who treat career planning as a marathon—not a sprint—are far more confident and far more successful when it's time to land that first job.

Here’s her simple, smart roadmap for students:

Freshman year: Get curious. Visit the career center. Say yes to events. Try things. Better yet, job shadow someone if you can.

Sophomore year: Start narrowing down. Choose a major, explore classes you enjoy, write your first resume, and build a LinkedIn profile.

Junior year: Start asking questions. Conduct informational interviews with people doing jobs that interest you. Secure an internship if possible.

Senior year: This is where it all comes together. If you’ve built relationships over the last three years, you’re not just asking for a job—you’re standing on a foundation.

“It’s the cumulative nature of the search that a lot of people miss,” Pollak said.

And it makes all the difference.

2. Skills Are Evolving—Fast. Is Your College Keeping Up?

The job market isn’t what it was even five years ago. In fact, Burning Glass data shows 37% of job skills change every five years.

Today’s employers aren’t just looking for technical know-how—they’re looking for adaptability, confidence, communication, and digital fluency.

Andy Chan, who leads personal and career development at Wake Forest University, says parents and students should ask some smart questions on college tours:

Where does the college publish career outcomes?

How engaged are alumni in helping students?

What kind of employers actively recruit here?

Colleges with a strong career culture don’t hide that info—they showcase it.

3. Work-Based Learning Is the Game-Changer

According to Matt Sigelman, president of the Burning Glass Institute, colleges that embed work-based learning—internships, co-ops, and job shadowing—consistently outperform their peers in post-college outcomes.

Why? Because experience isn’t just an add-on. It’s the bridge between theory and practice. It shows employers that a student doesn’t just know something—they’ve done something.

So if you’re evaluating colleges or helping your student make a plan, look for schools where internships and applied work aren’t just encouraged—they’re expected.

The Bottom Line: Start early. Stay curious. Build real skills.

The world of work is changing fast. But the students who thrive are the ones who take ownership of their career journey—before they even graduate.

So whether your student is heading to college soon or already there, the time to begin is now.

Because the best career outcomes don’t come from a lucky break.

They come from four years of smart, steady momentum.