The Employment Report

How to Transition from Student to Professional

“All that stands between the graduate and the top of the ladder is the ladder.”

 -Author Unknown

Everyone smiles and takes pictures of the new graduate. They ask you about plans for the future, patting you on the back for a job well done. Between celebratory dinners and nights out with friends, there will hardly be a spare second to think about what’s sneaking up on you – this new life. No one can be prepared for the changes that come because they always show up in different places and at any time. Even after reading this, you will still not be ready for your own transition. You do, however, deserve a little warning.

All those relatives posing for the camera and crowding the buffet at the after party have not told you what they know. No one does. It’s something that everyone found out the hard way: Graduation is not a slow shift to a different life. It is a jump into an icy pool, blindsiding even the most prepared.

After all the money stops coming and there are no more classes to sleep through, life suddenly looks so different and daunting. To make matters worse, you are most likely broke because no one in the area is currently hiring “cushy desk job managers.” In the middle of all of the confusion over who you are and what you want, everyone around you is a saying “Choose a path. You can do whatever you want. Pursue something.” What they are really saying is “Pick a job. Pick a job. Pick a job!” How is one expected to find themselves at the center of all this?

Tip 5: Take it all in stride.  

There will probably never be a more difficult transition in your life than this one. You are being thrust into the adult world without the armor of professional experience and security. Money troubles, job hunts and the general stress of so many changes can easily wear you down. Try to remain positive and believe that your dream job is out there.

After graduation, you will have such a wide world of opportunity that you may find yourself unable to choose any path at all. As you look around, searching for someone to give you boundaries and guidelines, you’ll realize that there are no paths. Change is a dark room. You must feel your way out, choosing a route mostly by chance.

The key to coming out on the other side is finding what drives you. What makes you happy? If your answer to this question is anything but “partying,” then you have a good starting point. Whatever it is, do it in your spare time or find a job that allows you to get paid for doing what you love. It is important to focus on what you love so that it can grow into something bigger. Don’t let work be your life.

If you find yourself panicking, take a deep breath and look to the future. Eventually, and without instruction, you’ll figure out the other thing that no one else told you: They all made it up as they went along.