The Art of WIIFM in Sales

The Art of WIIFM in abverkaufThe Art of WIIFM in SalesExperienced salespeople will often joke, Everyones favorite radio station is WII-FM. Theyre referring to the acronym WIIFM Whats in it for me? And no, this doesnt mean you, the salesperson. It means your prospect or potential customer. Use WIIFM to Your Advantage Your sales prospects needs should be on the top of your mind as you make your pitch. Every prospect you approach will consider yourpitch from the point of WIIFM. Thats why its so important to talk about the benefits rather than the features of what youre selling literally tell him whats in it for him. Prospects dont care that you need to close at least three more sales this month, or that youre shooting for a big win before you leave on vacation. And why should they? Neither of those things benefits them. Your prospectwants to hear about what he or she stands to gain by buying your products, and it should be something pretty substantial if you want himto move quickly . This is why benefits outsell features so dramatically. The Benefits of a Purchase Benefits are specific examples of what the prospect stands to gain if he buys from you. As a result, they appeal directly to the WIIFM mindset. Features, on the other hand, are specific facts about a product. They dont explain how the product will improve your prospects life. Lets say youre selling cars. If you tell a prospect that a specific model accelerates from 0 to 60 mph in 7.4 seconds, thats a feature. Its nice to know, but it doesnt do much to persuade him to sign on the dotted line. But if you tell the prospect that the cars high acceleration allows him to safely merge onto the freeway, thats a benefit. You are telling the prospect WIIFM. Or lets say your prospect is an older woman, nearing retirement age, who isnt as concerned with acceleration as she is with reliability and her post-retirement budget. Shes lukewarm because although she really wants a new car, she doesnt want to have to worry about a car payment when she punches that time clock for the last time in a few years. You can go on and on about the cars features, or you can point out that if she buys now, the car will most likely be paid off, or close to it, by the time she retires. Wouldnt she rather have a car payment now rather than then? As for his paid-off trade-in, it has 90,000 miles on it. You might mention that in all likelihood, its notlage going to get him through her retirement without major costly and unexpected repairs.Thatswhats in it for her. The So-What Factor Another important thing to keep in mind is that one prospects benefit is another prospects so what? Not everyone has the same needs. They dont value the same things equally. WIIFM also implies that you should take the time to understand what the prospect is looking for and where hes coming from. Then match the benefits you choose to discuss those needs.

Not for the beach 12 books worth reading this summer

Not for the beach 12 books worth reading this summerNot for the beach 12 books worth reading this summerWhile everyone else is catching up on the latest beach reads (spoiler alert All the characters in those will reveal a secret past before living happily ever after), you might want to cozy up to something completely different.Some of these are hot off the presses, some are modern classics, and some might just give you a different type of insight into what you think you know.In no particular order1. The Kingdom of Happinessby Amy GrothZappos founder Hsieh built an empire one pair of shoes at a time. His geschftsleben model includes classic Silicon Valley growth ideals, along with some quirkier wisdom gleaned from deep soul searching and time spent at burning man. Its a good read for the eclectic business person looking for a different type of role model.2. The Magic of Tiny Businessby Sharon RoweIf youve been thinking about starting a side hustle but have no idea of where to start, h ave a look at this book. You dont have to sink a fortune into a business to get it off the ground.3. The Art of Minglingby Jeanne MartinetSummer should be about fun and socializing and getting out from behind your screens and back to hanging out with people. Its also a great time to practice your soft skills. Read up on mingling and socializing and then practice during barbecues and rooftop cocktails.4. 21 Secrets of Million-Dollar Sellersby Stephen J. HarvillDid you ever wonder how top salespeople manage to sell themselves, their businesses, their philosophies, their talents year after year after year? This book gathers twenty-one common behaviors of top earners across seven major industries that set them apart. Every person profiled or analyzed shares one common trait- theyve managed to figure out how to use their talent for persuasion to earn upwards of one million dollars a year.5. Tribe of Mentorsby Tim FerrissIm not one of Ferrisss great fans, but I love the way he culled info rmation together to encompass the best habits of artists, athletes, and investors. More than that, its positioning them as long-distance mentors who can help or inspire you depending on your ultimate goal.6. Braving the Wilderness The quest for true belonging and the courage to stand aloneby Brene BrownThere are so many statistics about how alone many of us feel. This book allows you to feel accepted either in a group, or if youre a slight misanthrope. Its more of a confidence builder than anything else, and one that speaks out against the tendency to cut others down in our current social structure.7. Gigged The end of the Job and the Future of Work by Sarah KesslerWith one in three Americans earning a living as a freelancer, chances are good that you or someone close to you no longer fits the mold of the typical worker. This book explains how the trend began and offers day to day information and advice on navigating the new work reality.8. Outside Insight Navigating a World Drownin g in Data by Jorn LysseggenThis one wont be out until August, but Ive had a peak and its by turns fascinating and terrifying. If youre trying to figure out how to get ahead of the competition, this book allows you insights in how to interpret whats already out there and make it work for you.9. Reset My Fight for Inclusion and Lasting Change by Ellen PaoIf you ever feel like your entire career has been spent swimming against the currents, youre not alone. Author Pao shares her past struggles along with deep insights into how many of us might be taking everyday inequality in the workplace for granted.10. Everybody Writes by Ann HandleyNo, this isnt a new one, but its probably time for your refresher course in how to write. More than that, its a helpful way for anyone producing anything from a tweet to a campaign to understand how to engage with readers instead of simply talking at them.11. Hug your Hatersby Jay BaerWhile this book is ostensibly about the customer service experience, i t also helps one understand how to deal with the trolls online and in life.12. My Beautiful Despair The Philosophy of Kim KierkegaardashianThe love child of philosopher Sren Kierkegaard and Kim Kardashian combines angst with fluff in this tiny, brilliant tome. It wont help your career, but it might add a laugh to your day and spark conversation around the water cooler.

5 steps to escape the Ill start tomorrow trap

5 steps to escape the Ill abflug tomorrow trap5 steps to escape the Ill start tomorrow trapYouve probably heard something similar to the following phraseIts better to spend 5 minutes per day learning a new language than 5 hours once per month.Its better to do anything daily than sporadically. If you do something daily, your chances of mastering it are very high. The challenge (and the hidden benefit) is that tzu siche are only 24 hours in a single day. This 24-hour constraint will force you to decide what really matters to you.What are you serious about?What are you working on?When it comes to your own goals or dreamsAre you like the person who studies a new language 510 minutes per day?Or are you like the person who studies a new language for an hour or two here and there?If youre like most people, youre the latter. And if youre like most people, that means youre bedrngnis making very much progress.Life is extremely busy. It can be tough strategically fitting other things into your daily schedule when you have a job, family, and other responsibilities. However, if you dont fit your big dreams into your daily schedule, you probably wont achieve them. Or in the least, you wont achieve them in a timely fashion.This article is leid for people who are fine achieving big things once or twice in their lifetimes. Instead, this article is for people who want to achieve several big things every single year.If you learn to prioritize your life and your time, then you can do several big things on an annual basis. When you develop consistency, you also develop momentum. With momentum comes confidence and increased motivation. With confidence and increased motivation comes inspiration and bold ideas. If youre not consistent, then youre missing out on all of the psychological benefits that ripple into a life of success.Your daily routine is the clearest indicator of where youre going.The trap of believing you need big chunks of timeWhen it comes to big goals or projects - such as starting a business, writing a book, cleaning the garage, etc. - its easy falling into the trap of only working on it when you have a 3+ hour chunk of time.I myself fell into this trap. Im nearing the completion of my PhD in Organizational Psychology and only have my dissertation to complete. But a dissertation is a really big, complex, and challenging project. It felt so big that I didnt feel I could work on it for just 1020 minutes at a time. I felt like it took an hour just to get into it.That premise resulted in me regularly going weeks (sometimes months) without touching it. Its taken far longer than it has needed to complete. I have learned from sad experience the truth of Meredith Willsons words, You pile up enough tomorrows, and youll find you are left with nothing but a lot of empty yesterdays.Once I made working on my dissertation a parte of my daily schedule, and worked on it like I was learning a new language - just 1530 minutes per day - I started making huge progress. I began caring about it mora. I got more motivated and excited to do well. I went from push motivation, where it took willpower to work on it, to pull motivation, where I intrinsically wanted to do it. I began finding more pockets of time to squeeze it in.Heres the 5-step process and how it worksEstablish clear priorities of what you truly want to do (it must fit into your daily schedule, or its probably not a huge priority)Design your daily routine to ensure you get it done optimallyUse the Pomodoro Technique - where you work for a set period of time without any distractionsReport your progress immediately after youve completed your sessionHave a weekly reflection where you assess your progress and make future plansEstablish clear prioritiesI fear not the man who has practiced 10,000 kicks once, but I fear the man who has practiced one kick 10,000 times. - Bruce LeeWhat do you really care about?What do you really want to do?If you cannot fit something into your daily sc hedule, its probably not that important to you. Because just like learning a new language, you dont need more than 15-30 minutes per day.If you cant find 15-30 minutes per day, then youre not serious.If you do something consistently, even for a few minutes every day, it will start to become a bigger part of your life. In the book, The Compound Effect, Darren Hardy explains that small habits done repeatedly over a long enough period of time experience exponential results.If you do something repeatedly, eventually it starts to get momentum. Its like pumping a water-well. It takes some time to get going. But once you get going, you start getting pulled forward.You can get momentum doing something 15 minutes per day.Overtime, youll start to develop competence at what youre doing. When you increase in your competence and consistency, youll develop fare more confidence.As your confidence, motivation, and momentum increase, youll become more passionate and excited about what youre doing. Y oull make more time for it. Youll become more successful at it.Design your daily routineEat a live frog first thing in the morning and nothing worse will happen to you the rest of the day. - Mark TwainThe bookends of your day are your evening and morning. unterstellung are the times that you need to learn to optimize. Most people waste their evenings in a state of subconscious self-sabotage - usually distracting themselves with unhealthy food and mind-numbing technology.According to eMarketers latest report, US adults spend more than 12 hours daily consuming information on the internet.Thats more than half the dayYou probably have WAY more time than you think. The problem for most people is that they have no clue how much time they actually waste.Heres the thing about time - if something becomes important to you, youll find the time. A few years ago, my friend Benny and his wife, Nicole, were trying to convince Nicoles mom that she should watch the show, 24, with them. She told th em she had no time to fit it in. They convinced her to watch just one episode with them. She got hooked and started watching hours of 24 every single day. For the next few weeks, whenever Benny and Nicole would go to Nicoles parents house, they would find her mom glued to 24.I guess she figured out how to fit it in. Who knows what other priorities in her life disappeared as a result. But life went on.Even if you are legitimately extremely busy, which we all feel that we are, you can find 15-30 minutes daily to work on your goal. Your evening and morning routine are your best bet.The first thing you do in the morning is reflective of how the rest of your day will go. If you start right, your chances of continuing to have a solid day are very high.One of the 7 habits of Highly Effective people (that one book that sold over 25 million copies), is to put first things first.Does this mean you may have to wake up 30-60 minutes earlier than youre used to for a while? Does it mean its somet imes going to suck pulling yourself out of bed? Does it mean youll want to jump right back in bed?Absolutely.But it also means youre going to experience an incredible amount of satisfaction that you didnt used to have in your life.I often wake up at 5 AM to work on my goals before my three kids wake up at 6. Until about 507, Im really tempted to get back in bed. Many times, I have gotten back in bed.However, by 511 or so, Im starting to feel pretty good. By 559, Im really glad I got up. I have far more energy than I had when I woke up. I may not have made a huge dent in my goals. But I took a few steps forward. I put first things first. And now Im ready to see my kids. And you know what? They are going to interface with a parent who has self-esteem and confidence.Use the Pomodoro TechniqueThe Pomodoro Technique is a time management method developed by Francesco Cirillo in the late 1980s.The technique uses a timer to break down work into intervals, traditionally 25 minutes in length, separated by short breaks.These intervals are named pomodoros, the plural in English of the Italian word pomodoro (tomato), after the tomato-shaped kitchen timer that Cirillo used as a university student.You dont have to do 25-minute focus sessions. You can do 10-minute sessions. Or you can do 90-minute sessionsThe point is, you give yourself a timer and you work in complete focus until that timer is done. Once the timer goes off, you can take a break.Most people will immediately jump into their digital addiction, such as Facebook, for their break. Thats completely fine. Give yourself a small victory for being focused.However, as you become better and more serious about what youre doing, youll realize just how important recovery is for your wertzuwachs. As such, youll want your recovery to actually be restful and rejuvenating. Social media is mind-numbing, for sure, but it certainly isnt rejuvenating.Commit to a certain amount of time that youll focus on your goal each day. If its 10 minutes, then give yourself a 10-minute timer. Once that timer goes off, be done.Its very important that you stop when you say you were going to stop. Chances are, youll feel very excited for having done even 10 minutes of focused work on something youve been procrastinating for a long-time. In your excitement, you may be tempted to do another 20 or 30 minutes. If you do, then youll create an unsustainable expectation for yourself the next day.Just do your pomodoro - whatever timeframe you give yourself. Once you finish, be done.Then do it tomorrow.And the next day.And the next.Get consistent and if you find time to squeeze another pomodoro into your day, then do another. But stick with your initial morning pomodoro.Do it every day and eventually youll start to experience the compound effect. Eventually, youll start to develop competence and thus confidence. Youll get momentum and motivation.Your priorities will begin to shift. Like Nicoles mom, youll find more time. Youll delet e more of the non-essential distractions from your day. Your day will become increasingly filled with things that truly are priorities that reflect the future you want to embody.Because your days will become increasingly high quality and congruent, your life will become better and more successful. Youll begin looking and living different from the norm. Indeed, to be normal or average is to not have clear priorities. Being average means you havent put first things first. Normal means you dont have momentum or confidence or clarity.Overtime, youll get far more effective during your pomodoro-time. Youll develop routines and strategies for getting as much done in 3060 minutes as used to take several hours. Youll have a pre-performance routine for immediately putting you into a flow-state, so that youre doing deeper and deeper work.Report your progress immediatelyWhen performance is measured, performance improves. When performance is measured and reported back, the rate of improvement ac celerates. - Thomas MonsonIf you dont have someone youre reporting your progress to, then you havent designed your life for optimal productivity. Accountability is essential for success.You want to have someone meaningful who you report your progress to. This could be a friend or accountability partner or mentor or coach.Every morning after you complete your pomodoro - you send a text message or email saying Done. Or, if you want to add a little more detail, you could provide a few sentences, paragraphs, or bullets explaining how it went.In any case, you not only want to track your progress, but you want to report it. If you track and report your progress, it will improve.Have a weekly reflectionI think of the learning process of an undulation of deep learning and periods of surfacing and reflection. - Josh WaitzkinAt the end of each week, it is powerful to have a reflection period. Take 10-20 minutes and reflect on your week. How did it go?- - - Did you actually work toward your goal every single day?What came up during your week that you hadnt anticipated?Do you need to get up a few minutes earlier?Are there things in your daily schedule you need to shuffle around to become more effective?Are there activities or behaviors you could delete from your life to make more room for this growing priority?What goals should you set for yourself this week, based on your experience belastung week, for this goal?Should you work at it an extra 10-15 minutes daily?How can you ensure your time is most effective during your daily pomodoro?- - - Those questions were simply prompts to get your mind going. Every week, you should be taking a few minutes to reflect on where youre at. Thats a huge part of the learning process. You take a step back and examine how things are going so you can correct and perfect your process.Each week, you should be getting better and more effective at what youre doing.Each week, you should be getting more momentum and motivation - more compet ence and more confidence.Each week, you should be clearer on your priorities, and deleting the distractions from your life that are simply that, distractions.ConclusionYou cannot overestimate the unimportance of practically everything. - Greg McKeown, in Essentialism The Disciplined Pursuit of LessSuccess isnt as hard as it appears. Its not that far away. Success simply requiresPrioritizationPlanningExecutionAccountabilityReflection and improvementIf youve been stuck in the past and havent made much progress on your dreams or goals, you need to make it a part of your daily life.When it becomes something you do daily, you can be sure that youll begin making progress. Eventually, your progress will turn into enormous momentum. Eventually, your whole life will change as you become clearer on your priorities.As you become clearer on your priorities, your standards for yourself will improve. Youll stop justifying low-level distractions to take up huge portions of your time. As a result, your time will be invested far better. And as your time gets invest rather than spent, youll become more successful and happier.Moreover, as you get better with time, you wont be content having moments of quality mixed with moments of self-defeat. Youll begin stacking quality habits together - such as exercising and journaling in addition to focusing on your goals. When you begin stacking quality habits, your results will compound even more. Youll get more bang for your buck from each solid habit you cultivate.Ready to upgrade?Ive created a cheat sheet for putting yourself into a PEAK-STATE, immediately. You follow this daily, your life will change quickly.Get the cheat sheet hereThisarticlefirst appeared on Medium.

5 Questions to Ask Before Relocating for Work

5 Questions to Ask Before Relocating for Work5 Questions to Ask Before Relocating for WorkHave you been considering relocating for a new job?To some, the idea of picking up and moving to a new city is exciting. For others, it may seem a bit frightening. Maybe the promotion youve been waiting for is across the country. Better yet, chasing your dream opportunity could land you somewhere out of the country.There are so many factors that come into play when considering a position that would require you to pick up and move.Take a deep breathHere are a few questions to steer you in the right direction when determining if a relocation is right for you.1. Hows the cost of living?Whether you are moving from a small city to a large one or vice versa, the cost of living is something that shouldnt be overlooked. Make a point to consider any new expenses that you may incur. A slight increase in travel and housing prices can throw your budget off track if you dont do the necessary research and pla n ahead.If you are looking for a great Cost of Living Converter, check out Bankrate.com.2. Who is covering the moving expenses?A key factor in whether or not this move can really happen is going to depend on whos paying to get you to your destination. The cost of transporting your possessions miles away can add up rather quickly.If the company that you are considering decides to offer a relocation package, it helps to have done your homework. Get quotes from movers, and other parties involved in the moving process and present this to your future employer before agreeing to any fixed rate.3. How will this affect loved ones?Having the support of family and friends can make a huge difference in your decision to relocate. If you are someone who is very family-oriented youll want to keep that in mind depending on how far you are willing to move. Going over to your grandparents house for NFL Sundays may be a stretch from a few thousand miles away.If youre married youll want to consider yo ur spouses job prospects in the new city or the education system if you have children. Relocation can be a big transition.4. What if things dont go as planned?The new city may not be everything that you hoped it would be when you Googled images of the skyline. If you decide to change your mind it is completely okay just be sure to have the funds set aside needed to survive a few months while you plan your next move. The lastplace you want to find yourself is stuck in a city that you dont want to be in without the financial resources to get out.You may not necessarily need or want to go back to where youre from. With the right strategy in place, mobility shouldnt be a problem.5. Am I going to love this job?Accepting a position in a new city can mean great things for your career. Still, you want to go in with your goals clearly in place. Consider the prospects and opportunities for advancement within your new company to determine if they align with your career ambitions.A big part of your happiness will depend on whether or not you enjoy your new position. Being apart of a team that is a good culture fit will play a role in your attitude towards your new role, and possibly productivity.Sure, there are plenty of things to consider before deciding to relocate for work. While it all may seem a little overwhelming, with the right preparation and research you will be able to make a decision that you can be proud of. Sometimes all it takes is a for you to step outside of your comfort zone to reach your peak of success.

A Simple Trick for Engineering Internship Resume Explained

A Simple Trick for Engineering Internship Resume Explained The Little-Known Secrets to Engineering Internship Resume Show youre interested in receiving the occupation (should you do) Our resume builder makes it simple to create a well-written resume in a couple of minutes. In the long run, keep in mind that a resume is supposed to be a succinct appearance of your background. Engineering Internship Resume - Is it a Scam? You will find two means by which you can create resumes. If you really want to have that job, then you must send all them a targeted job application. Instead, say just what you are browsing for in the latest job. If youre thinking about a specialist job that you will require to generate a resume. Now you have a function interview planned. No matter your degree of job practical understanding, your resume format is critical to making your program stick out. The interviewer would like to observe how you approach an issue and understand the thought process su pporting the implementation decisions that you create. Engineering Internship Resume for Dummies Most employers arent expecting you to get extensive experience because an internship is normally the very first experience students have in their area. As stated previously, your certifications should forever in your education section following your degrees. Include graduation dates only as long as you recently graduated in the past five decades, or when you want to explain a career gap. Engineering internships may also get you relevant work experience, enabling you to become workforce ready before going into the work market for a graduate. The Argument About Engineering Internship Resume The subject of mechanical engineering is an extremely respectable one. In addition, you can find out more about engineering careers on Monster. When you have procured an undertaking, dont hesitate to change it. Its also beneficial for students since they will secure some actual engineering kno wledge. Resume Contractor The resume building process is extremely effortless. Resume Constructor The resume building process is quite straightforward. Your engineering Resume Templates is a powerful advertising tool, so make the the majority of it. To get this kind of engineering resume, you could take advantage of the amazing resume templates found here which have been designed particularly for the objective. The Engineering Internship Resume Trap At the base of the sample, you will locate some advice for your chemical engineering job interview, alongside the most frequent questions asked by your employer. The wonderful thing about applying for internships is that the employer does not absolutely expect you to have any prior experience. Add policy to continue to keep you afloat in the auffhrung that you ought to be hurt at work. Youre requesting a specific job. At a foodstuff canteen, for instance, the manager makes sure the canteen is transported with enough grocery items for arranging a choice of food items. An acting resume design may be your key to obtaining the role of a lifetime. For the article of the medical facility housekeeper, then its imperative that you include all of the experience youve got in related fields. In the event that you complete an application for a work now at an immediate hire staffing support, among the precise first issues theyll require you is in the event that youve got computer talents. The Engineering Internship Resume Game Several formats and designs to select from, Resume Now-Resume builder is the best place to bring in job winning resumes. Resume Constructor The resume builder is extremely simple to use. Our resume builder gives you tips and examples on the best way to compose your resume summary. Ideas, Formulas and Shortcuts for Engineering Internship Resume Although engineering job profile encompasses a wide variety of specialties, efficient resume strategies are required for particular discipline s. For instance, freshers pursuing the course can search for internships in several businesses and firms. In that situation, its better to tailor your resume for a mechanical engineering job to coincide with the language of the work offer. The position you apply for will probably have several candidates. Resume target samples are readily available. The next leiter youll need to try create resumes is determining what type of resume youre likely to want. Each work type needs different sort of resumes. Its possible for you to look at generic resumes, but engineering resume samples will be absolutely the most useful due to their specificity to your area.

3 Ways to Use Experiential Learning to Boost Your Career

3 Ways to Use Experiential Learning to Boost Your Career Article by Dan LauerMost of ushave been in the room while a boring professor drones on and on in front of dozing students. While the centuries-old lecture format can be an efficient way to transfer knowledge, it doesnt necessarily further learning.Instead, students are more likely to gain lasting understandings of new concepts when theyre asked to teach or use those concepts, according to Harvard Universitys Eric Mazur. When given the chance to practice what theyve learned, students retain 75 percent of that new information on average. Compare this to the 20 percent retention rate average seen in lecture environments.Based on this premise, we can say that experiential learning will better prepare you for the career of your dreams and help youcultivate the entrepreneurial skills youll need for any job.Many graduates will candidly tell you that very little of their classroom knowledge directly app lies to their work. When I was in school, for instance, I memorized theories and then regurgitated those memorizations on a test to get an A. Once I had graduated and taken a management job, however, I realized the theories I learned in the classroom didnt necessarily help me motivate my employees.Later, when I started my entrepreneurial journey, I realized that though I had learned to write a geschftlicher umgang plan and make financial forecasts, I hadnt learned how to effect change, listen, act on my concerns, or galvanize others to get behind my mission.ansicht are all important skills to possess, no matter the field you enter. A 2017 surveyfrom the National Association of Colleges and Employers (NACE) found that the three strengths employers look for most in early career applicants are teamwork, problem-solving, and written communication skills.Beyond building these crucial career skills, experiential learning helps students figure out what they love. For instance, an internshi p opportunity can help you decide whether youd be most happy working for an established software company or an evolving startup.As Ive helped develop an entrepreneur center at the University of Missouri-St. Louis (UMSL), Ive seen firsthand how experiential learning can generate the insights and deeper understandings that help students cultivate entrepreneurial mindsets, which are important even for those of us who dont want to start their own businesses. An entrepreneurial mindset can hold the key to the innovative ideas, both large and small, that distinguish your career from others.College and professional courses that only talk about entrepreneurship without providing students with ways to be entrepreneurialmiss the point entirely. Students must be able to ideate, prototype, learn, iterate, reflect, and fail in order to truly develop entrepreneurial mindsets.Here are three steps you can take to seek out career-boosting experiential learning opportunities1. Be Intentional When Sel ecting CoursesTheory is critical, so you should definitely spend time in lecture halls learning it. However, you should also seek out courses that prioritize applied and experiential learning. Simulated experiences, hackathons, accelerators, and applied training sessions are just a few great ways to participate in experiential learning.Experiential learning courses offer authentic experiences during which students can practice teamwork, resiliency, and tenacity in the face of problems. They create safe environments where students can make mistakes and learn from them. These courses also teach students how to transfer what theyve learned in one context to anotlageher.A good experiential learning course prioritizes three things classroom rigor, examples from real-world practitioners and peers, and the creation of a learning ecosystem. These three things especially the third help you become an active player in defining how your education improves your future.At UMSL, for example, we help students establish a theoretical and practical foundation for entrepreneurship. Our Entrepreneurship Certificate course requires 18 hours of classes, some of which are dedicated to learning the theories underpinning innovation and entrepreneurship. Our capstone course requires students to build a minimum viable product and draft a business plan. Similarly, Rice University has built theLiu Idea Lab to encourage entrepreneurship in academic fields across the university.I know many students may never start their own businesses, but the cultivation of an entrepreneurial mindset a willingness to take risks, solve problems, and take initiative will distinguish them from the pack when theyre applying for jobs.2. Get On-the-Ground ExperienceInternships help people gain direct, real-world experience in their chosen fields. Interns often develop practical communication, self-discipline, and time-management skills which make them more likely to secure full-time employment than those wh o do not take internships, according to an NACE report.An internship may also help you refine your career aspirations. As cited in the NACE report, a 2016 survey from Looksharp found that 81.1 percent of graduates who held three or more internships reported the internships helped them adjust their career directions. The takeaway here is that you dont need to feel boxed in when applying to internships. Getting experience outside of your major, home state, and/or target industry is a great way to mold yourself into a well-rounded professional in a competitive job market.There is no better way to grow as a partie than toget outside of your comfort zone. Who knows you may even uncover a hidden talent or passion. Use personal contacts, reach out to local businesses, and search relevant websites to find internships that align with your goals.3. Join Organizations Attuned to Your Career GoalsCareer-focused organizations help you meet like-minded individuals and enable you to apply your cl assroom knowledge to real-world situations. An organization with an entrepreneurial focus, for example, will expose you to people and experiences that amplify your innovative know-how.One of the many benefits of joining a career-focused organization is that doing so gives you the chance to network. Youll form valuable connections that can pay off during your job hunt. Youre also likely to gain teamwork and leadership skills skills that, as weve established, make you much more impressive to employers.You dont have to give up career-focused organizations upon graduation. Because my own education lacked experiential learning, I decided to make up for lost time by joiningEntrepreneurs Organization, a worldwide peer-to-peer learning group. Once a month, I meet with 10-12 fellow entrepreneurs in an informal advisory board. We share our experiences and talk about how they shape us.Students must be active in the learning process rather than serving as passive receptacles for knowledge. Exp eriential learning allows you to master concepts without numbing your creativity or innovation. It fosters tomorrows Zuckerbergs, Musks, and Wojcickis, and it engenders an entrepreneurial mindset thats invaluable no matter what job a person chooses.A version of this article originally appeared on SUCCESS.com.Dan Lauer is the founding executive director of UMSL Accelerate, an initiative that fosters innovation and entrepreneurship in- and outside the classroom and helps bring concepts from mind to market. Dan is a long-standing, successful entrepreneur who has founded multiple companies, including Lauer Toys Inc., best known for the Waterbabies line, which has enjoyed 26 years of continuous distribution and 23 million units sold. Through UMSL Accelerate, he serves as a catalyst for developing a vibrant ecosystem of students, faculty, and community to inspire innovation and advocate for entrepreneurship.