If what he said is true and success does indeed “take off like a rocket,” then Patrick Combs must be a patriot missile.

The 20-something speaker released mass quantities of positive energy to a crowd of about 200 Tuesday night as he discussed the ins and outs of being a success during and after college.

Combs captivated the Sun Room audience for more than an hour as he gave a speech based on his recent book, “Major in Success: Make College Easier, Beat the System and Get a Very Cool Job.”

After handing out free copies of his book to audience members, Combs talked about extensive preparation for the first job after college.

Combs, whose first job after college earned him $80,000 a year, has appeared on numerous television shows, including “Hard Copy” and “Good Morning America.”

He is currently producer of the show “Real TV” and has toured hundreds of universities, giving motivational speeches to students about being successful and how to landing a dream job.

“I’m here to help you get a great career because in my opinion, job stands for ‘just over broke,'” he said.

Combs told the audience one of the most important pieces to the success puzzle is to always be happy.

“Doing what makes you happy is the first and foremost key to success,” he said. “That’s where you get your extraordinary drive.”

Combs also told students to never forget about their hobbies and favorite pasttimes when it comes to thinking about a career.

“No matter what your hobby is, there is some kind of job surrounding it,” he said.

In his speech, Combs disclosed to the audience his own success and failure stories. While in college, he said he was a janitor because he did not prepare himself properly to find a summer internship.

But now the majority of his time is spent informing students on how to market themselves.

Combs said he knows how competitive it is in the work force. He added that he is anxious to share his knowledge and experience because he wants to see students succeed. “I love to read stories of other people’s success,” he said.

Combs said there are many things students can do to make themselves more marketable, such as improving resumes and cover letters.

“Resumes have to be perfect; one grammatical error or spelling mistake and it’s in the trash,” he said. “While cover letters need to be tailor-made special for the job you are trying for.”

However, resumes and cover letters are just the beginning, Combs said.

Combs told the audience internships are essential to landing the bests jobs. The more the better, he said. In fact, three is the magic number when it comes to internships, Combs said.

“I have met people who have done one or two internships with OK jobs, but I have yet to meet someone who has done three internships and does not have a job they love right now,” Combs said.

As he walked through the audience, Combs added many times internships can land someone a permanent position.

“A recent study shows that 64 percent of interns are offered jobs by their employers,” he said.

One of the most important factors these days in job searches is computer experience, Combs said.

He told the audience in fewer than two years all employers will be requiring some sort of computer experience of all applicants.

Combs said computer experience means being able to use the World Wide Web, set up a database, maintain a spreadsheet and word process.

He also said another study has shown people with computer skills make an average of 15 percent more money than those without the skills.

Perhaps one of the elements most college students overlook in their quest for a job, Combs said, are the aspects of leadership and involvement.

“The most important homework in college is never assigned,” Combs said his adviser once told him. “These are the things that will get you that good job.”

Combs said getting involved in student groups and any organization related to one’s chosen profession can look great on a resume — and prospective employers love to see it.

Combs offered a list of books for students to read. The list included titles geared toward students in different majors, such as “Great Jobs for Communications Majors.”

Also recommended by Combs were books that list internships, such as “The Internship Bible.”

He said going to bookstores’ career sections and looking up books on careers is an important tool to remember in finding dream jobs.