Here's some advice for students from second and third-tier universities—it's worth its weight in gold.

Especially for underperforming students and liberal arts majors without family connections, you must work in a first-tier city. People who go to first-tier cities don't necessarily have a bright future, but people without connections and without education who stay in second and third-tier cities definitely have no future.

Go to a first-tier city first. The city provides you with the largest platform possible. There are many good companies there, and many people from poor schools have done well. The more first-tier a city is, the more tolerance it has for academic credentials.