The Employment Report

How to Transition from Student to Professional

Remember the cushy desk job you wanted? It’s not impossible, but not many people can find it right out of college. Of course, your chances of getting a good job are high, considering you’ve just earned your degree. However, don’t expect to find a career immediately. It can often take years in the workforce to find where you belong.

Tip 4: Have realistic expectations. 

A common mistake made by graduates is turning down jobs because “it’s not what I want to do for the rest of my life.” It is totally natural to be tempted to turn down a job. It pays well and has good benefits, but maybe it has nothing to do with your field of study. Believe it or not, this is a common issue among graduates. Companies in your industry are likely to hire someone more qualified than you because, without experience, you do not have a specialization in that field.

Don’t be insulted if you are offered a position that you think is beneath you – it’s probably not. Everyone has to start somewhere. There are very few people in the world that began their current career with their first professional job. In fact, statistics predict that you will have as many as ten professional jobs in your life.

This is not to say that you should accept a job you aren’t happy with. Simply keep an open mind. You can’t turn down jobs just to hold out for a position as a tester at the go-kart factory (even though that would be awesome). Bills and building your résumé are the most important things to get out of the way. Once you have that job, as boring as it may be, it will afford you financial comfort while looking for something new and exciting. Remember that the way to get the cushy job you want is to start at the bottom and work your way up.

Most importantly, expect that you may not be able to make it work right away. If you truly cannot reconcile yourself with being flung into the real world, take some time off. This will be especially good for you if you haven’t done any of these things to prepare yourself. Travel the country or the world, taking odd jobs along the way. Go back home and live with mom and dad, rent free (you’ll get some free meals out of it). Many people are afraid that they will lose their drive and opportunities while taking time off and this will keep them from joining the professional workforce. So what? You may not be meant to sit in an office all day and this is how you’ll find out. Learning what’s wrong for you is even more important than learning what’s right.

Even if you do end up with a less than stellar job for a while, hang on to your goals. Waiting right behind this job are the other ten you’ll have before you retire, so relax while you still can.