Set high but attainable goals. In the words of one poet, If you shoot for the stars, you'll at least reach the moon. Goal setting may be an important new challenge. Perhaps you breezed through school without much personal or professional direction. Only then can you focus your energy and efforts on worthwhile pursuits that will enhance your career progression.
Success involves more than just hard work and diligence.
A key ingredient of success is making appropriate connections that will open doors of opportunity down the line. As you transition from academia to the corporate world, don't overlook important associations that can contribute to your professional advancement. Specifically, many distinguished professors and college administrators have connections with influential persons in major corporations and nonprofit organizations. Stay in contact with such people. After all, your long-term career growth extends beyond your first job out of college.