Leadership by Example - How to Get Your Career Off to a Blazing Start

The class of 2006 is lucky, indeed. The nearly 3 million U.S. college graduates going forth from academia into the workforce this year are finding the most ebullient job market in years. According to a survey by the National Association of Colleges and Employers (NACE), employers plan to hire 14 percent more new graduates than they did last year.

Some of these new workers will move into their first jobs with lofty ambitions about reaching the executive suite one day. Others are more interested in paying off student loans. Whatever your goals, one thing is crystal clear.