Why do we work? The answer to this question may be unique to each individual. As you consider your career options, it is important to understand your motivation to work.

Up to this point, you may have worked to gain experience, pay bills or fund college. What next? As you write resumes, craft cover letters and schedule interviews have you considered why?

If you will be paying down significant debt after graduation, your goal in finding work might be to find the highest paying position, without consideration of the skill set you might acquire. If your first priority is learning more about a particular career field, you may decide to relocate, take a position at a lower salary or enroll in a graduate program. Or, you may want to work to support a different career goal: acting, writing or travel.

In a recent CNN interview, John Roberts asked former President Clinton why he worked. His response: “I have to go to work. I’m too much of a Calvinist. If I don’t work every day I get nervous.”

Asking ‘why?’ is a good place to start your job search. The answer may help you clarify your choice. It may help you prioritize your goals and begin to create a timeline to integrate what you do for fun with what you do to live.

This is the time of year when everyone, including the President is selecting who they believe will advance to the final four in the NCAA men’s and women’s basketball championships. With a little imagination, you can apply the bracket concept as a way to narrow down your career interests.

Let’s say you are totally undecided. Where do you begin? Try categorizing your interests using the bracket system. Instead of four regions, fill in four career fields that might interest you. Next, identify sixteen possible employers in each field. Go to the websites to view job openings. Log on to connect SC for possible listings. As you progress with your research, you will begin to eliminate some organizations in favor of others. Once you get to your ‘elite eight’ employers, start your information interviews. As you talk to people you will begin to establish a realistic assessment of your chances for success in an organization.

This ‘elite eight’ forms your target list. By the time you have narrowed your selection to eight, you should feel comfortable that each employer presents a realistic starting point to your career.

As with any selection process, you do not have total control of the process. The employer extends the offer and you have the choice to accept or continue to explore other options.

The NCAA tournament lasts three weeks. If you start filling in your career fields now, you will advance the exploration process at a pace to be ready for interviews by ‘tip-off’ in the championship game.

When considering career options we tend to be comfortable with the familiar. This year, some of these options have closed and we are forced to seek out alternatives. One you might not have explored is a management development program. Most large organizations have a program designed to develop their future leaders. Depending on the industry, these rotational assignments can last two to three years. Think of it as a ‘fast track’ to a leadership position in management.

In recent years, the way to earn a large salary in a short period of time was to pursue a career in finance or real estate. These fields reward individual success very quickly based on individual results. What if your career plan is more long term? Do you think you have the skill set to manage multiple operations with large numbers of employees?

The typical management development program gives the new hire a chance to prove themselves in a relatively short term in a variety of work settings. In most cases the recruitment process seeks out candidates from all majors. Why?  The employer is looking for a generalist who can adapt to a variety of situations and learn quickly. Often the employer would rather teach you the aspects of how they do business than hire someone with a preconceived idea from a business curriculum. These programs are designed to create a corps of ‘elite’ potential leaders who receive supplemental training and access to senior management.

You will find that each organization has a unique label for their program ranging from trainee to leadership development. All have the common objective to provide a professional development experience across a number of functions. You may start in marketing and then move on to finance and end in manufacturing. The organization wants to provide the best education about their customer, product, pricing and distribution. In addition, you gain insight into the corporate culture and fundamental value system. Once you have completed a management development program successfully, you have the opportunity to choose your next step and be rewarded with a promotion.

If you would like to learn more, check out the Vault Guide on Management and Leadership Development Programs. This guide and a list of management development employers are available through connectSC. You will find the Vault Guide under Vault Employer Guides. You may also want to listen to a podcast of an employer panel discussion on these opportunities.

Last week the recruiter from NBC Universal described their Operations Mangement Leadership Program as a way to accelerate your career and accomplish in two years what it would take the average entry level employee to do in five. If you are looking for a challenge and the opportunity to learn a business across multiple areas, lead a team of people and gain immediate management experience consider the alternative of a management development program.

Is it the economy that has made this week’s transition to daylight savings time more difficult or was it midterm exam induced sleep deprivation? Fortunately we have a week for our circadian rhythms to catch up. And while your body clock adjusts to PDT, give yourself permission to rest.

Walking across campus you overhear conversations as people plan for the annual spring break. While many of you will head off campus for the week, a significant number of you will ‘staybreak’ in LA. Take a day or the week to recharge and renew.

Looking for a full time job or a summer internship can be a stressful process, and the stress may be magnified by uncertainty in the economy. You need to build your energy reserves. If you do not already have a regular fitness routine, use next week to create a pattern of daily exercise. Look at your calendar for the next two months and schedule exercise appointments so you can maintain your momentum post spring break. If you feel good, you elevate your confidence level. And, if you feel confident, you will reduce your stress.

Take at least one day next week for you. Turn off your blackberry or IPhone, avoid Facebook and don’t watch TV. (If you are a basketball fan you may want to do this on Monday or Tuesday) Take a drive or walk without GPS. Get lost. Yes, it is time for ’spring break detox’. You need a ‘time out’ from all the distractions that fog your brain on a daily basis. Why? Because spring is about new beginnings, a time for a fresh start.

When you return to campus it will be a seven-week sprint to the end of the spring semester. You will be using those stored energy reserves as you juggle your myriad of commitments. Take time to have fun. Come back refreshed and a little less intense.

We tend to make a judgment on people within the first thirty seconds of meeting. A positive initial impression is critical, especially when you are connecting with a potential employer for the first time. From the first email, to a personal greeting as you begin an interview, it is important to convey your interest in a position with a fresh and positive attitude.

Whenever you contact an employer in writing via email or snail mail, be sure to have a second set of eyes review your communications before you hit send, fax or drop the letter in the mail. Spell check is limited in its’ ability to check for words, not usage. Print out a draft of any communication and read it out loud. Often you will catch an error when you hear it. Read the document backwards to check for spelling. Since you have probably been working on the letter, resume or email for some time, you may overlook an error. Have someone take a look to catch any missed mistakes. A prospective employer is seeking someone who pays attention to detail. A slip in your first contact may bring the selection process to an end.

As we approach the midpoint of the semester, it is easy to become ‘worn out’ and sick as commitments to part time jobs and internships overlap with mid term paper and exam deadlines. With spring break a few days away, it is easy to let your guard down when meeting an employer for the first time. Remember, the employer is probably overworked and stressed about the economy. Sharing your exhaustion and relating stories of how tired you are will not gain sympathy. And worse, it may cause the employer to rethink your ability to handle the pressures of the job and why they selected you for an interview.

If you want the job, you must show your energy and enthusiasm for it. You may mention that you are managing a difficult balancing act mid-semester, but convey your confidence that you have it under control and are pleased with the opportunity to spend the next thirty minutes discussing your potential for success in a new organization.

Think of your favorite entertainer. If you paid to see them in concert, what is your expectation of the performance? You want their best performance. That entertainer has to go out on stage every night like it was the first time performing. You have to approach your interview in the same way. This is your first meeting with this recruiter, even if you have been through 20 other interviews. Don’t break into song, but focus and conduct your best interview.

In this economy an employer is seeking an individual who will add energy and a fresh perspective to their workplace. In your first 30 seconds, convey the impression of a professional who is ready to contribute and manage the multiple challenges of a new workplace.

Hi Mom, how is my job search going?  Thanks for the heads up on the career workshop yesterday. I was too busy to go, but I’m listening to the podcast as I write. Did you enjoy career fair? Have you followed up with any of the employers you thought I might like? Writing this mid term paper has really taken up a lot of my time this week.

The resume you did for me looks great. The folks in the career center had some issues with my being the ‘best at everything’. We may want to tone it down a bit. The employer will realize how special I am at the interview next week. By the way, what time are you picking me up? I want to be sure we get there on time.  Should I wear the blue pinstripe or black suit?

If any of this sounds familiar to you, it is time to rethink your strategy.

Most employers view active parental involvement in the job search as a ‘red flag’. At a time when you are trying to establish your professional identity, a recruiter wants to get to know you.  If mom and dad are conducting the initial steps of the job search, who is making the first impression? An employer will question your interest and initiative. If the excuse is you are too busy and have no time, the employer will question how you will manage the demands of a full time job. If your parents show up for the interview, the employer may wonder if they will be there on your first day of work and want to provide input to your performance appraisal.

In this economy, it is critical to develop an independent job search strategy. There is more competition for available positions and an employer wants to connect with you, not your representation.

How can you involve your parents? They are your closest advisors, and can help you with your research and networking.  Perhaps they can connect you with friends for information interviews. Your parents can also be effective as a sounding board as you consider your options. Draw the line at the point of contact with the employer, but keep them posted on your progress. You own this process.

On the public relations website, culpwrit.com, a student studying abroad asked if it was ok for her parents to contact prospective employers on her behalf. One of the responses: “Would you let your best friend or roommate make the call on your behalf?” Think about it.

Do your research, find your fit, demonstrate your passion, take the initiative and prepare. These five tips come from the employers who participated in panels last week during the semi annual Internship Week.

These suggestions also apply if you are currently seeking a full time job. The bottom line is you have to customize your job search for each individual position. Sending out a form letter with a change of name and address for the recipient will not set you apart.

You do your research to learn about the organization, the position and the person who will conduct the interview. The web site may give you a sense of the culture, but you will need more information to determine ‘fit’.  Do you prefer working with folks in your age group or do you prefer a range of generations in the workplace? You may want to work with people, but how? Who are the clients of the internship organization?

How do you demonstrate passion for a particular career field? If you have taken the time to do your research and can relate your experience to the job description in a cover letter you have an edge. Now, you need to follow up with the employer to be sure you get the interview.

What does taking the initiative really mean? It just means being impatient in a positive way. Follow up to get the interview, send a thank you note after the interview and don’t wait to be asked once you start. Employers seek self-starters who will volunteer for more work once they have completed an assignment. This is how you learn the business. Pay attention to detail from the cover letter, to the resume, to the quality of work you deliver at your internship.

As you start you job search, take the time to create the foundation for your professional reputation. Record a voice mail message that is short and identifies you as the mailbox owner. One recruiter gave up on a prospective candidate after listening to a combination of music and rant. Clean up your Facebook account. Employers do have access to social networking sites and will check your profile. Join a social network that links to your profession or one that has a broader professional membership such as LinkedIn.

If you missed any of the panels, you can listen to the podcasts and hear each of these employers discuss who gets the job and why.