Congratulations, you’ve just graduated with a degree in your chosen field.

So what’s your next step going to be to launch your long-anticipated career?

Like a young racehorse at starting gate, you have tons of energy and determination, and are anxious to get out there and seize new career opportunities. But are you ready? Do you know what you need to do? Do you have a plan of action to turn those opportunities into a reality? If you don’t, you will need to get one.

I’m sure you’ve heard old adage that quickest route from point A to point B is a straight line. Well, launching your career is no different in terms of setting your job search goals and carrying them out diligently and methodically You might have a few corners to navigate, but you should do your best to avoid deviating from your goal as much as possible.

One of first things you need to decide is what type of job interests you most. Depending on what your degree is, there might be many positions in your field to consider. For example, if you are a graduate nurse you can work in a hospital, clinic, nursing home, childcare center, school, private practice, or field setting. Then, within those settings you can work within various units such as medical-surgical, pediatrics, and maternity. Then there are transitional opportunities.

Let’s say you tried your hand at nursing and realized it was not what you expected. You can always consider pharmaceutical sales as a new career. Some fields, such as business management, are even more flexible. The key is to decide which direction you are headed towards and learn as much about that field as you possible can.

Okay, you hate to admit it, but you spent all of that time and money, but you’re still not sure what you want to do. You have an idea about what you might want to do, but it’s just not clear yet. None of possibilities you’ve explored get you excited. In fact, you’re feeling downright frustrated and depressed. Don’t worry. It really isn’t that bad. Keep in mind that you don’t have to start at top, and don’t have to commit yourself to an employer. So don’t put so much pressure on yourself. Maybe you just need to get your foot in door somewhere to test waters before you decide to go full steam ahead. You might even want to spend first year to discover what it is that you really want to do. That way your mind will be open to possibilities and you will have a positive attitude. Just don’t waste time. Set weekly goals. Use that year to WORK at finding out what you want to do. Then prepare to do it – and do it well.

If you want to explore your career without assistance of a job coach or career counselor, a good way to start is to conduct some independent research. Let’s assume your degree in is law enforcement or criminal justice. You will need to decide if you want to work in corporate security or private investigation. But how do you decide? Well, if your college’s career center cannot provide you with specific information, visit Occupational Outlook Handbook online (http://www.bls.gov/oco/) to get an overview of various positions in your field. Join industry specific chat rooms to see what everyone is talking about. Go to websites of various companies. Get involved in conversations. Ask lots of questions. Get advice from friends, family members, and neighbors. Ask them what they do and how they got started.

If you are not sure if a particular area of your industry is right for you, call or write professionals already in positions of interest to request an information interview. An information interview will allow you opportunity to question a professional about nature and requirements of a position. Some people will not be available, whereas other people will welcome opportunity to give you fifteen minutes of their time. If someone avoids you, don’t take it personally. Just move on to next possible contact. Once you make a connection, you will need to be polite, organized, and demonstrate exceptional professionalism and communication skills. During your information interview, remember to take detailed notes. When you are done, thank them wholeheartedly for their time. Be sure to get their full name and contact information so you can send them a follow-up thank you letter. They might even have an opening, so be sure to make a good impression.

Once you have narrowed it down, have your résumé developed professionally and post it on major job boards, such as monster.com, careerbuilder.com, and hotjobs.com to see what contacts can be made. While you are there, search job openings to glean what job descriptions are so you can see what will be expected of you. Your résumé writer will probably want you to do that anyway so they can get a good idea of jobs you are interested in to ensure your résumé is very targeted. Be proactive and tell your résumé writer that you have done that and would like to share that information with them.