Without proper preparation, that can be a terrifying prospect. Luckily, positioning oneself to find employment after graduation is much easier than most people realize. The simple trick is to spend time in college gaining the necessary student work experience to make one into the best candidate for the desired position.

Quite possibly the easiest way to manufacture work experience is through charity work since just about every possible career path has an affiliated charity. Since just about every charity accepts volunteer work, gaining work experience for one’s resume is relatively easy. The problem with volunteer work positions, though, is that because many are easy to get, some employers will discount them. To maximize one’s "bang for the buck," one should be able to clearly describe how the volunteer work assisted in the development of skills or knowledge that would be directly applicable to an employer’s needs. Those who look at working on youth projects should be sure that their desired area of employment will require skills in working with youth. If not, that time could likely be better spent elsewhere.

Many students will attempt to gain work experience through unpaid internship placements. These can be great ways to add experience at prestigious companies to one’s resume. In many cases, the actual experience gained will not be particularly valuable, but proof that one can get in the door at top companies will definitely make a resume more impressive to potential employers.

Sometimes the best way to gain work experience is through summer jobs. First of all, employers will likely look askance at any applicant who "wastes" a summer. Second of all, many of these jobs will give specific and useful experience. For example, the skills used to cross sell a pair of socks at The Gap are similar to the skills used to cross sell a CRM software package to a business intelligence user. Finally, these positions indicate that a student both needs and is willing to work at an actual job. Due to the relative wealth of the Baby Boom Generation, there is a perception that many college graduates do not feel the need to work in a traditional fashion. A history of holding down "real" jobs will help to alleviate this perception.

Students should ensure that their experience is relevant to the position sought. A number of applicants contact hiring managers saying that they have had a life-long interest in the field in which the desired position lies. Unless one actually has experience the field, the claim will ring quite hollow and can lead to immediate disqualification from the interview process.

Finally, many positions look for those who can be out-of-the box. Entrepreneurial experience is extremely attractive to a number of employers who want employees that can go beyond just a simple job description. For those who include this on their resume, it is important, though, to be prepared to discuss why the business was shut down and what lessons were learned.

All of the above techniques will work to enrich one’s resume. Even better, they will all enrich one’s college years by adding a great deal of meaningful real world experience. This process, then, is truly a win-win for today's college students.