Life After College is quickly approaching. Now is the time to begin preparing for your experience!

Our generous alumni and volunteers will come together to provide us with an experience that help set us up for success and set us apart from our peers. However, it is up to us to make sure we are fully prepared for Life After College in order to get the most out of this program.

Here are five ways you can prepare for Life After College in Chicago:

Update your resume. 

It has probably been a few months since you’ve applied for internships or made updates to your resume, or perhaps you do not have a well-developed resume. Take some time before Life After College to make updates to your resume. Once you have made edits, stop by your Career Services Office to get another set of eyes on it. Or, share it with a professor or mentor who can provide feedback. Remember, most campuses offer free resume critiquing services by staff members who are happy to help you succeed.

Pack accordingly. 

Life After College is not the type of gathering to show up wearing a lettered t-shirt and shorts. Business casual is the minimum dress requirement, which means a button down shirt, slacks and jacket. However, if you want to stand out, pack a nice tie to wear for the weekend as well. However, do not wear a bowtie!

Get ready to network. 

Life After College is essentially a large networking event. You will be surrounded by brothers and distinguished alumni and volunteers from across the region. Take the time to make connections while you are in Chicago. You never know how far the connections you make could take you. As they say, in today’s competitive market it is not always about what you know, but who you know.

Step out of your comfort zone. 

The best way to have a productive and impactful weekend at Life After College is to step out of your comfort zone. Of course, it is uncomfortable to strike up a conversation with someone you have never met before, but once you start, it only gets easier. You will quickly overcome your fear and quickly see the vast reward of stepping outside of your comfort zone and networking with others.

Be open-minded. 

Life After College will open your eyes to a great deal of new information. After the weekend, you will be able to look at your future with considerably less concern and considerably more optimism and confidence. SigEp provides us with all of the necessary tools to succeed, but only if we take advantage of those tools. All of the tools that will be presented at Life After College will leave a positive impact, but only if we open our eyes and ears to the new ideas.