By Alexandra Levit, Author, "They Don't Teach Corporate in College: A Twenty-Something's Guide to the Business World" 　　I will never forget how lost I felt the summer after my graduation from college, and in the nine years since, I've spoken to countless 20-somethings who feel incredibly pressured to find their true calling immediately and build a successful career in a particular field before their 25th birthdays. 　　A more realisticchallenge is to ease yourself slowly into the work world by following a few strategies that many people don't try until they're well into their 30s. School probably taught you a lot of things, but the business world's unique set of rules may not have been part of the story. 　　Hopefully these tips will get you started on the right foot 　　Pick a Career Instead of a Job 　　Looking for a job haphazardly, because you majored in something or because you saw a listing that looks somewhat interesting, you'll risk getting started in a career that holds no real appeal for you, and then you'll have to leave it to find something else. Why not plan your career strategically, just like you planned your education? 　　Start by doing a self-assessment that teaches you things about yourself that you might never have thought about -- for example, what you like and don't like in a work environment, what defines success for you, and what type of work would make you want to sit in traffic for hours just for the privilege of showing up. Knowing these things can help you determine which occupations could be a good fit for you. 　　If You Can't Get a Job Right Away, Don't Despair 　　If you start thinking of yourself as a victim or allow yourself to lapse into prolonged negativity, you won't be hurting anyone except yourself. Worrying until you get sick, abusing drugs or denying that you've reached an impasse won't help either. The best strategy for moving on is to recognize the reality of the situation, acknowledge your feelings and find a way to cope productively. Reach out to your support systems, and consider taking some time off -- after all, you'll never have the freedom of being between school and work again! 　　Network Like Mad in Your Chosen Field 　　A huge percentage of job openings aren't advertised because employers prefer to hire people through word of mouth. Developing relationships with people working in your field, then, means that you're top of mind whenever they hear of a new opportunity. 　　Learn about new contacts by researching firms in your industry, joining social networking sites like LinkedIn, asking your parents' friends, and joining relevantprofessional associations. Approach individuals by e-mail first, and don't put them on the defensive by asking for a job outright. Instead, show curiosity about their career path and see if they'll agree to lunch or coffee. 　　Hone Your Reputation as a Can-Do, Enthusiastic Employee 　　Don't have a sense of entitlement -- your company isn't responsible for your career growth: you are. Only approach your boss with a problem or complaint if you've explored all options for resolving it yourself. When you do, be prepared with a solution you could implement with her help. 　　The words I don't have time should never escape your lips. If you know something needs to be done, do it without being prodded. Your boss will quickly come to see you as someone she can count on and a huge asset to the team. If you have conflicting priorities, ask your boss to help sort them out. 　　Don't Think of Your First Job as the Be All, End All to Career Stardom 　　How can you master the skills it takes to get ahead without putting any time in the trenches? That's like saying you could win an Olympic medal in swimming without learning to doggie paddle first. Look at your first post-college positions as temporary stops on your career path instead of permanent ones. Don't be in such a rush to get promoted either -- you have a long career life ahead of you to shoulder the heavy burden of being on top. In the meantime, enjoy getting paid to learn everything you can so that snagging your next job isn't quite as challenging!

• spoken [´spəukən]   speak的过去分词   (初中英语单词)
• career [kə´riə]   n.经历；生涯；职业   (初中英语单词)
• realistic [riə´listik]   a.现实主义的；现实的   (初中英语单词)
• challenge [´tʃælindʒ]   n.&vt.向....挑战；怀疑   (初中英语单词)
• traffic [´træfik]   n.交通，运输   (初中英语单词)
• privilege [´privilidʒ]   n.特权 vt.给....特权   (初中英语单词)
• knowing [´nəuiŋ]   a.会意的，心照不宣的   (初中英语单词)
• despair [di´speə]   vi.&n.绝望   (初中英语单词)
• victim [´viktim]   n.牺牲者；受害者   (初中英语单词)
• reality [ri´æliti]   n.现实(性)；真实；逼真   (初中英语单词)
• acknowledge [ək´nɔlidʒ]   vt.(公开)承认；感谢   (初中英语单词)
• percentage [pə´sentidʒ]   n.百分数；比例；部分   (初中英语单词)
• working [´wə:kiŋ]   a.工人的；劳动的   (初中英语单词)
• whenever [wen´evə]   conj.&ad.无论何时   (初中英语单词)
• professional [prə´feʃənəl]   a.职业的 n.自由职业   (初中英语单词)
• curiosity [,kjuəri´ɔsiti]   n.好奇；奇事；珍品   (初中英语单词)
• responsible [ri´spɔnsəbəl]   a.尽责的；责任重大的   (初中英语单词)
• complaint [kəm´pleint]   n.抱怨；叫屈   (初中英语单词)
• solution [sə´lu:ʃən]   n.解答；解决；溶解   (初中英语单词)
• learning [´lə:niŋ]   n.学习；学问；知识   (初中英语单词)
• permanent [´pə:mənənt]   a.永久的；不变的   (初中英语单词)
• meantime [´mi:ntaim]   n.&ad.其间；同时   (初中英语单词)
• countless [´kauntlis]   a.无数的   (高中英语单词)
• unique [ju:´ni:k]   a.唯一的 n.独一无二   (高中英语单词)
• appeal [ə´pi:l]   vi.&n.请求；呼吁；上诉   (高中英语单词)
• environment [in´vaiərənmənt]   n.郊区；周围；条件   (高中英语单词)
• relevant [´relivənt]   a.有关的；中肯的   (高中英语单词)
• enthusiastic [inθju:zi´æstik]   a.热情的，热心的   (高中英语单词)
• implement [´implimənt]   n.工具 vt.执行   (高中英语单词)
• saying [´seiŋ, ´sei-iŋ]   n.言语；言论；格言   (高中英语单词)
• paddle [´pædl]   n.踏板 v.用浆划；划船   (高中英语单词)
• temporary [´tempərəri]   a.暂时的 n.临时工   (高中英语单词)
• defensive [di´fensiv]   a.&n.防御(的)   (英语四级单词)
• reputation [repju´teiʃən]   n.名誉；名声；信誉   (英语四级单词)
• graduation [,grædʒu´eiʃən]   n.毕业(典礼)；刻度   (英语六级单词)
• incredibly [in´kredəbli]   ad.难以置信地   (英语六级单词)
• calling [´kɔ:liŋ]   n.点名；职业；欲望   (英语六级单词)
• strategy [´strætidʒi]   n.兵法；战略   (英语六级单词)
• taking [´teikiŋ]   a.迷人的 n.捕获物   (英语六级单词)