For students finishing up their college careers or even business people looking to succeed in their current jobs, no question is more common than “How do I stand out?”. As one of our readers, “John Con”, put it in one of our previous posts,

What do you wish you did/didn’t do in college that would help you succeed today or more precisely- what will make a person stand out?

As I am constantly being asked this question by other friends just finishing college and even older friends who are looking to improve or change their careers, I want to put my thoughts and experiences thus far out for communal cogitation. These are not so much the specific actions I believe are best, there is no specific combination of activities that guarantees success however, it is a set of goals that allow you to stand out and can be achieved through any number of paths.

1. Be a Whole Person

This isn't just the usual tip career services hands out as you fill in the last few lines of your resume, it is an integral part of any interview. If you spend every spare minute working and studying rather than pursuing your other passions you will quickly run out of material for situational interviews. In fact, a number of the recruiters I have talked to actually frown on a straight 4.0 students to the point of being especially critical of those with above a 3.8. Don't take this as an excuse to not study but, when you're faced with a choice between taking part in a student organization or a committee and studying to make sure you get a straight 4.0, go with the depth of experience that external activities can provide.

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As the corporate world struggles with the new millennial workforce, many employers are experiencing great success with rotational programs. Originally pioneered by a number of large corporations to train engineers, the programs now are used in all areas of business from IT to Finance. These programs satisfy Generation Y's need for travel, new experiences and training through a number of four to eight month rotations in different businesses, locales and departments.

The advantages of these types of roles become quickly evident when you realize that breadth of knowledge, cross-departmental and cross-business, that can be obtained in an incredibly short period of time, two years for many of the programs. Program participants roll off with a great amount of diversified knowledge that may take 5-10 years for someone else to gain in a standard role. Sounds amazing right? It is but, whether you are a participant in one of these programs or a employer managing them, you need to make sure you don't get vertigo from the accelerated spin of rotational programs. Here are a few tips to help you avoid vertigo:

1. Avoid Over-Diversification

The biggest strength of a rotational program is the opportunity to diversify but, it can be dizzying as well. Many people skip from rotation to rotation without focus, similar to the way some college students do between majors. Then, when they get to the end of their program they have had a number of great experiences but are left to wonder, now what?

Many college students have to stay in school for another year or two, which is not an option for those in a rotational program and can cause you to take a default role off-rotation that you may not like. After your first rotation or even during, start to figure out what you like and take rotations that will aid you in your end while still providing a good set of diverse skills.

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The more comfortable we get with new technologies, the more accustomed we get to looking for an easy solution to our problems. Not to say we're trending toward laziness or cutting corners to find an easier way out, I've just noticed that the ways of the olden days are in fact…old.

Over the holiday season, I had a few days off and used it to head back home to visit the family.

It was nice to see them again, as I work a lot and don't get many opportunities to head home (insert 'Cats in the Cradle' comment here). My dad works a lot too, he owns a small electrical contracting outfit. The night before Christmas Eve he got a service call. Now, instead of bothering his employees (who were with their families as well) to do the job the next morning, he got up at 6:30 the morning of Christmas Eve and did the job himself. He could have easily called up an employee to do the job for him, after all, he has the authority to do so.

Hmmm….

It got me thinking, the ambition that drives a man to wake up at the crack of dawn everyday for work for 35 years is becoming a rare commodity. These days, it's fairly common to call on someone else to do it for you

. The line between worker and reliable worker is ever expanding as I've heard someone say so many times, “I wish I didn't have to work.�

There is the possibility that my perception of today's work ethic versus the work ethic of yesteryear may be skewed because of what I was taught by people around me growing up. However, the lack of ambition, that I'm becoming increasingly aware of among younger people, is growing.

While catching up, my dad and I somehow stumbled on that topic. He shared the example of a kid he knows the parents of, missing school to play Xbox. That never would've happened when I was growing up……well, not without a swift kick in the pants.

Who knows? Maybe people aren't looking in the right places for motivation and direction. Time's have changed. What applied fifty years ago rarely applies now. Although, going back to your roots may not be a bad idea. As entrepreneurship evolves, so does the way we conduct our business. Keeping in touch with traditions and balancing business evolution could just help a few more people take pride in what they do.

When it comes down to it, there are many things that can set a fire inside someone, and ignite a passion to do something, and to do it well. Everyone will have a different way of going about it, it's just a matter of sifting through the dark to find that light switch.