Congratulations! You've worked hard earning your degree, and you deserve a huge hurrah and slap on the back. But wait! You're work has just begun, as the real world awaits your entry as a productive human being into the workforce. And you've got about 90,000 hours of work ahead of you in your lifetime. Ugh you say? Drudgery? It doesn't have to be that way. Plenty of people actually LIKE their work. Wouldn't it be great to be in that crowd, waking up each morning looking forward to the day? If this sounds like you, then listen up. It's all about finding a great match. Here is what NOT to do:

1. Take a job that someone else found for you.

How easy could that be? Uncle Jim knows someone at that Bigco, Inc. Your parents tell you its just wonderful, what a great way to start your career, aren't you lucky. Well, maybe you are. Maybe this IS the perfect first job for you. Maybe this IS an organization that will fit who are and what you want out of work. Or is it just the easiest path to take, and will it turn out to be a life defining moment, a moment that sets your career in the direction of someone else's choosing? Is that what you want? NO! Take the time to learn about yourself and your options. Do a little research and come up with a list of companies or industries that are of interest to you and would seem to be good places to start your career. This first job is really important in setting the tone of your career. If Uncle Jim's company is a good match, then great. But don't make the mistake of jumping into a job or career that you haven't researched.

2. Send out thousands of resumes. Period.

You'll most likely be getting pressure to get a job from ‘others' in your life. Parents, partner, and friends mean well in their prodding, but their constant "so, how's the job hunt going?' can become extremely annoying. And an easy way to placate them, and to feel very productive yourself, is to blast your resume out to every online job posting you can find. Then you can report ‘I sent out about 50 resumes last week, haven't heard anything yet." Picture this. Thousands of other college grads have sent their resumes out to those 25 companies as well. Now picture the recruiter at the company looking at thousands of resumes. What are the odds of your resume standing out and you getting the coveted interview call? Small. And when someone does call you for an interview, you'll go into it without knowing if this is something you'll like, or if it's a place you'll fit in. This brings me to the next point.

3. Go into an interview knowing nothing about the company.

Over and over we hear managers and recruiters complain about new college grads coming into an interview with absolutely no knowledge of the company. "So, what interests you about working here" is a common early interview question. What kind of impression do you think you'll make when you stare blankly and say "I don't know too much about what you do yet". A bad one. And without doing some research before the interview, you are missing the chance to ask intelligent questions to determine a great match between you and the company. And what if they offer you the job? You're thinking you should say yes, of course, but how do you know if you'll really be happy and successful here? This interview could mean a great deal towards you loving your career. Take the time to research and investigate BEFORE the interview.

4. Be unclear on your personality, preferred working style, value, and abilities.

Success and ‘digging what you do' will come with finding a job where you can contribute to the organization's success while getting your own needs met. It's all about finding a great match. And it's about you finding a career where you can be yourself and rely on your natural strengths. So how do you know if a job is right for you? You can never be 100% sure, but you can get close. Determining a great match between you and an employer takes a solid understanding of who you are, what you need, and what you have to offer. If you've taken the time to do your research on the company and to get clear on what you need, you will make better decisions on whether or not this is a great match. And you'll deliver a better interview.

5. Take a job in a company you don't believe in, or settling for just ‘okay'.

People who love their work feel engaged and connected to what they do. Before you accept a position, ask yourself if you'll be fired up working there over the next year. Are you truly interested in what the organization does? In the kind of customers it serves? In the products or services it delivers? In how the people in the organization work together? If you don't have a deeper connection to some aspect of your work, you'll be a prime candidate for career drudge. Don't let this be you. Find the connection.

Getting fired up about your career is all about finding a great match. Work that let's you be you, working with people you like, where you're successful and having a good time. It's a career that allows for your success in both work and life. Take time today to proactively begin your job search by taking advantage of your college career center resources, or hire a private career coach. Take control of your career and you'll find the work you love.