When it comes time for students to graduate and enter the working world, career centers and mentors should keep in mind that even the best and brightest students most likely aren’t fully equip with all of the real-world skills they need to thrive in the workplace. Colleges reward certain important skills and knowledge, particularly around critical thinking and writing, but getting straight As doesn’t mean a student is ready to step out into the workforce. “Soft skills” are extremely important and something recruiters are focusing on more and more. You can work with students to help them prepare by showing them what will be expected of them once they enter the workforce.

Understanding Time Management: The discrete tasks students are responsible for in college are a lot different from what they will be responsible for in the professional world. In college, much of the accountability occurs at set times throughout the semester with quizzes, papers and tests. In the workplace, though, employees are constantly judged based on their output. Cramming at the last minute will not undo a week of slacking off at work. There are various ways to help alleviate this issue. One example of how you can help students and job seekers is to encourage them to shadow alums in a field of interest to them.

Avoiding Analysis Paralysis: Every office has one of these employees: a very smart, very thoughtful person who can analyze an issue forward and backward at the drop of a hat. These folks are great to have on a team, until it comes time to make a decision and move on. When someone can see an issue from all sides, sometimes it can be difficult to just pick one and move on. Great college students can fall into this trap, since college rewards critical thinking more than action taking. Bringing professionals to campus to offer real-world examples of getting things done will go a long way in helping students avoid this issue.

Student affairs professionals can use the many tools at their disposal to support students in their journey to successful careers. Career fairs, for example, can be a great place and a easy introduction for job seekers to get a feel for professionalism and company cultures. Bringing alumni back to speak at campus events helps students relate to professionals and can also help student job seekers feel less intimidated by the working world. Careers centers should help job seekers with more than just technical skills in order to smoothly and successfully transfer them from the college environment into the professional workforce.