Frustrated college grad needs direction
Frustrated college grad needs direction
Q: I’m a new college graduate. When I was in school I did everything I was told to get good grades and earn my degree. My parents paid a small fortune for my education and now I can’t find a job that pays what I’m worth. I’ve been job searching for six months and haven’t gotten close to anything worth my parents’ investment in me. Companies say they want experience but they won’t give me a chance to get any. I’ve tried to network but I don’t have any connections so I don’t get anywhere. I could work hourly but that’s not why I went to college or why my parents spent so much money on me. I’m disappointed and embarrassed. This is not what I was led to believe would happen. What did I miss, and when did I miss it?
A: It doesn’t seem fair. You ought to be able to trade in your degree for a high-paying job in a company with a future so you can justify your parents’ trust in you. Some new grads have specialized degrees in specialized fields and appear to hit the jackpot right out of school, but most take longer to find their way.
Stay the course. You have goals, you want to succeed and you have a track record of working hard. Having said that, there’s no quid pro quo between what it takes to get a degree and what that degree can buy on the open market. To an employer you’re an untested applicant being considered for a job with stated, implied and some yet-to-be-discovered requirements. You’ll be compared to other applicants and given consideration based upon the relevancy and depth of your work experience as it relates to the job where you’re applying. Most companies consider a college education a basic requirement, not a competitive advantage. Whoever led you to believe education was a cornerstone to success was telling the truth. Education is as indispensable as it is foundational. Education is not defined by or limited to what you’ve learned in high school, college or graduate school. It is the composite of all that you’ve learned from experience, from mistakes, from successes, from friends and family, and from roads not taken and roads taken too far.
If you want a good return on that combination, apply patience and perseverance, long-term planning and real-time thinking. Apply the kind of self-awareness that comes from honest self-assessment and forthright feedback from people whose perspective you trust. And then take action.
What do you do well and easily? What gives you a sense of satisfaction? What makes you feel like you’re making a difference? What energizes you? If you know the answer, that’s the direction you should head toward. Yes, you’ll need to develop your skill sets, practice your trade and learn from those who perform at a level higher than you. Go after jobs that put you on the right track and find opportunities to work with people who can help you get there. Work hard, work smart, show you can lead and show you can follow. Learn by doing and by asking questions. Take action.
If you want a career that pays you back and moves you forward, know what’s true north for you — for you, not for your parents or friends, and not for what others believe to be right for you. Finding that career begins with experience that enables you to meet people who in turn can open the door to more of what works for you.
It’s time. Get out there. Take a chance. Make something happen.
Joyce Richman is a speaker and career coach conducting seminars and workshops throughout the United States, and the author of "Roads, Routes & Ruts: A Guidebook for Career Success." You can reach her at 288-1799 or JERichman@aol.com. Watch Joyce Richman's latest career advice Wednesdays at 6:35 a.m. during "The Good Morning Show" on WFMY News 2.
