Landing a job starts on first day of college – These exercises jump-start a career search for anyone, not just students.

The first day: "We tell our students the first day of class is the second-most-important day in their college careers, after graduation day, which is the most important," said Tim Apolito, coordinator of community relations for the University of Dayton’s criminal-justice studies program.

Here’s what Apolito means:

Focusing on your career, starting to market yourself and learning how to land your first professional job has to start the first day of your college life.

"It’s how they work and market themselves in the time between [the first day of college and graduation] that will be the catalyst for their careers," Apolito said.

And that’s why, on their first day of college last August, the class of 2008 was alerted to the fact that their job search was beginning.

All incoming students were told they must develop personal Web sites with a résumé and picture in their first year.

The first-year students also were encouraged to make video résumés.

These exercises jump-start a career search for anyone, not just students.

Carol Kleiman / Syndicated columnist

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