by Kristin Davie, exclusively for WWDS

Over the past few weeks, I’ve experienced a certain feeling of déjà vu. While researching dozens of firms, writing countless cover letters, and reviewing what now must be hundreds of job advertisements, I couldn’t help but think that I had gone through a similarly stressful situation before.

Then it hit me. I had- exactly four years ago- when I applied to college.

The processes are eerily alike. For example:

• College fair – Career fair

• College counselor – Career counselor

• College application – Job application

• Rejection letter inducing subsequent feelings of inadequacy and 24 hour period of Ben & Jerry abuse – Rejection letter inducing subsequent feeling of inadequacy and 24 hour period of Budweiser abuse (I didn’t say they were identical, after all)

Granted, my preparation for a job interview pales in comparison to my preparation for any job interview, and I doubt the company I eventually work for will have a cafeteria whose chicken patties and turkey dinner days damn near caused riots (I miss you, Marist).

Still, if you recognize the similarities and differences between the two processes, you can actually take away some valuable insight, especially when you consider that the outcome of both will ultimately change your life. Process

Here are some things I’ve realized myself:

• I only applied to three colleges, and one was a safety. Most aren’t lucky enough to find the perfect college (shameless plug for Marist again), let alone perfect position, so when applying for jobs, it’s important to have a “safety.” I’ve seen friends make the mistake of interviewing at one company and abruptly stop their job search. After two weeks of waiting on baited breath for the phone call that, let’s face it, in this market will most likely never come, they’ve missed a crucial two weeks (and potentially another interview).
• College orientation leaders and tour directors at open house and campus tours are invaluable sources of information. The same goes for those employees that interview you, so I’ve learned to ask a lot of questions tailored to their own experience at the company. True, they both may be paid off to boost their respective employer’s image, but you can get a good idea of how well (or how poorly) you fit in to the company and get along with future co-workers.
• The same way you scrutinized college and university websites shouldn’t differ when reviewing those of companies. I think they say a lot about an organization (clients, company goals, employee atmosphere), and I’m impressed with a company that has an interactive, informative website. Bonus points for blogs.
• Be a well-rounded individual. In high school, we’re encouraged to join an array of clubs, sports teams, and volunteer organizations. Hopefully, we’ve continued the trend in college, but just because we graduated doesn’t mean we slam on the brakes. It’s important to keep adding on to the resume, so start a blog, attend a seminar, register with a professional networking association, etc.

The irony between both ordeals? In the end, we spent hundreds of thousands of dollars attending college to graduate in a dismal market. Now at least, the fruits of our labor should re-coop some of those losses.