This is a slightly modified and condensed version of my "17 Things I Wish I Had Known Before I Started My Career" talk. I presented this talk to freshmen students at a Goshen College alumni panel discussion on 15 January 2015. View the longer version here: http://www.slideshare.net/Diptoe/17-things-i-wish-i-had-known-before-i-started-my-career