Graduation season has arrived. Thousands of students have already begun to look for their first career position. Here are some tips to help you launch successfully.

Line up your references now. Ask respected members of your network, those with whom you have worked, attended classes or otherwise had a professional relationship, to write a recommendation for you on LinkedIn. Rather than using the standard LinkedIn language to request one, personalize it. “I would really appreciate it if you would write about your experience working with me during my recent internship at X company.”

Create a one-page Reference “sales” sheet with two or three sentence recommendations from five or six people in your network. Include their name, title, contact information and relationship to you, for example, former supervisor, professor, colleague, etc. This is an excellent leave-behind at the end of an interview.

Provide each of your references with an electronic copy of your resume so that when a potential employer calls, they can readily call to mind your experience and emphasize your achievements. When an employer indicates that s/he is going to contact your references, call or email each one to alert them.

Update your marketing materials. Your resume and LinkedIn profile should be ready well before graduation day. Does your LinkedIn profile have a professional up-to-date headshot? If not, get one taken before your graduate. Does your headline contain the right searchable terms enabling a potential employer to find you? The character limit for a LinkedIn headline is 220 characters. This includes spaces, letters, numbers and punctuation. Choose searchable terms related to your career. These can be job titles, industry key words, skills and areas of expertise. Create compelling About, Experience, Education and Skills sections.

Is your resume ready to send? If not, start on it today. If you have work experience, a full- or part-time job or internship (paid or unpaid) include both work and academic accomplishments. If not, include academic and appropriate social achievements.

Develop a professional network. When you click with someone professionally or socially, nurture the relationship; follow up with them on LinkedIn. Get into the habit of carving out time each week to connect with others in person and via LinkedIn.

When it comes to building a network, you might be surprised to learn that a large network of weak connections is more valuable than a small network of strong connections. According to sociologist Mark Granovetter, weak connections provide access to a broader audience, different environments and a wider range of ideas, and as such can be very powerful. Always thank those people who took time to help you succeed, first when you initially reach out and again when you have landed on your feet. People appreciate being thanked and hearing how the story turned out.

Look for ways to give back, which might be sharing the title of a great book you recently read, emailing a relevant article from the New York Times, or inviting someone for coffee on you.

When you are perceived as providing more value than you take people will always be happy to connect with you.

Mary Jeanne Vincent, career expert and strategist, has a coaching practice in Monterey. She may be reached at 831-657-9151, mjv@careercoachmjv.com or www.careercoachmonterey.com