When it comes to preparing for life after college, it can be intimidating to think about and plan for. Applying for jobs and preparing yourself financially for life after college can be challenging, but it doesn’t have to be. Check out some tips to help you prepare for job searching and life beyond college:

Take Advantage of your College’s Job Fairs and Career Center

Your college’s job fairs and career center can be a very helpful tool to help you during the job search process. Utilize job fairs to see what companies are hiring in your field of study. If possible, target events that focus on your specific industry or feature companies for which you genuinely want to work. Check out this article for tips on how to prepare for a college job fair.

Take advantage of your college’s career center and of its resources before your senior year. Career centers can help you build a resume or cover letter, practice mock interview questions, get career advice, or secure an internship that may give you an advantage during your post-graduate job search. Check out the UC Davis Internship and Career Center webpage for resources and tips for job searching.

Build a Network

When it comes to searching for a job, having the right connections can be very helpful. You probably already have a professional network of your friends, professors, classmates, co-workers, family, and more. These people have connections that can help you find a job or opportunity. Keep on building your network by keeping in touch with people you meet throughout your career. This can help you be alerted of job opportunities and professional opportunities through your network. Check out this link for more tips on how you can network.

Start your Job Search

By senior year, you should be actively searching for a job. Be sure to utilize different job boards or look on the websites of companies you are interested in for any open positions. Make sure to keep a lookout for entry-level roles in your field of interest for which you’re qualified.

Take advantage of both your network and career center to expand your search scope as they might have access to job leads that haven’t been posted yet.

Learn about Student Loan Repayment

If you’ve used student loans to help finance your education, it is important to think about your repayment plan.

For federal student loans, there likely are multiple repayment plans that you can choose from such as standard, graduated, and income-based. Be sure to visit the Federal Student Aid website to learn more about each of the repayment plans.

If you took out private student loans, you will likely have different repayment options. It’s best to reach out to the servicer of your private loan for more information on repayment options.

Work on Your Credit

Your credit score is a very important number that continues to be important beyond college. Be sure to manage your credit score to ensure that you have a good score. A solid credit score will give you an advantage if you need to lease an apartment or buy a car.

Keep your credit in good standing by paying your bills on time each month and not allowing your credit card balance to exceed 30 percent of your card’s credit limit. Check out this article by Experian on other tips and tricks to improve your credit score.