“ It’s that time of year again. The birds are chirping. The flowers are in bloom. And graduates everywhere are wondering what they’re doing with their lives. Allow us to offer some unsolicited advice.”
Introduction
Listen up, graduates. Many people will encourage you to enjoy the moment and not worry about the future. And that's just lousy advice in general.
College graduations are approaching, and the yearly barrage of advice for incoming grads comes with them. Graduates will be bombarded with advice, some helpful, some poor, and some that will irritate them. This is a pivotal time in your life, and the relationships you form, the skills you gain, and how much you learn from your errors will all play a part in the type of professional you will become and the career alternatives you will have. Take everything in and think about it; this is the moment to be a sponge and soak up as much information as possible.
This next stage of your life is crucial. Don't throw it away. At the same time, don't let the FOMO or the stress of making the incorrect decision drive you insane. You will miss out and make a mistake. Everything about this season is a careful balancing act.
Realizing what to do with what would be ahead of you is the difference between wasting this time and making out the most of it. So here's some advice I've gathered, much of it drawn from a book, The Art of Work (which a reader recently pointed out makes for a great graduation gift).
And on that note, here are a few tips and tricks soon to be graduates who are entering their professional life:
->Don't Let Perfect Be The Enemy Of Good :
It's important to strike a balance between trying your best and overthinking things. "The show doesn't go on because it's ready; it goes on because it's 11:30," Lorne Michaels regularly says on Saturday Night Live, according to Tina Fey in her book Bossypants. That is to say, sometimes the best result you can obtain is done, not good. And because there isn't always time for perfection, goodwill has to suffice. Don't become overly attached to a project or take it too seriously. There will be a new project, customer, or case to deal with. Simply keep your head down and work.
->Maintain A Healthy Lifestyle:
This advice may have already been given to you by your mother, but now is the time to start acting on it. Your education schedule is rather flexible, but your employment schedule will be more regulated, so sticking to a pattern is essential. Find an exercise that you love and that you can stick to. Find healthful foods that you love and prepare them as frequently as possible. Purchase fresh food and learn to prepare meals for yourself. All of these things will get more difficult as you grow older and assume more responsibilities. It will never be simpler than it is today, so get started as soon as possible and make it a habit.
->Don't Be Afraid To Make Mistakes:
You'll always be rejected for internships, employment, and other opportunities. You must learn to adapt to changing circumstances and better personalize your demands. Make use of your education to make connections between you and firms looking for interns.
Don't get too worked up; you still have your degree to finish. Create a network, figure out where you want to go, and position yourself properly.
->Cultivate and Optimize Your Social Skills:
Skills are progressions. Continual improvements add up over time. You are unique, and by being yourself, and listening to yourself, your intuition will keep getting better the more you practice.
-> Never Stop Learning
People that thrive are not always those who graduated first in their class, have the most money, or have the finest connections; rather, they are those who are adaptive and can develop with the business, are competitive, and have better job stability. So don't become complacent; keep up with the news and trade journals to be informed about what's going on in your sector and where it's headed. That way, you may ensure that you sharpen your abilities or take lessons to learn a new one if necessary. Allow yourself to not become obsolete.
->Practice Patience:
Many people find this phase to be unsettling since they like certainty. And what could be more definite than individuals advising us on what to say or do next? However, doing so is frequently the path of least resistance and rarely results in fulfillment.
Including activities in your life that need patience will provide you with a new perspective. It will assist you in appreciating your own personal development. You may reap the outward advantages afterward by growing inside with these behaviors.
->Spend some time getting to know yourself, and your purpose will become clearer, Don’t worry about what to do:
Getting to know yourself on a deeper level will reveal the road you were meant to pursue, which will be far more gratifying than continuing to follow the crowd. Learn to manage your emotions and practice empathy.
->Stop trying to find the perfect job:
The concept that there might be some so-called perfect job out there waiting for you is one of the greatest misconceptions in our world today. You won't be able to locate the ideal work, but you may design one.
The realm of job opportunities in today's world is changing at an ever tremendous rate. Take some time to evaluate your own strengths and shortcomings, as well as your good and negative characteristics. Take it a step further and deal with your childhood hurts. It's incredible how much of our present identities and dispositions stem from unique childhood events that shaped us into the people we are now.
->Focus more on your Mental Health:
University is often praised as some of the finest years of your life, and for the most part, it is. However, living as a student might have an impact on your mental health. It's normal to feel overwhelmed by the burden of trying to keep up with your schoolwork while still maintaining your social life.
Conclusion
It’s not about the destination or where you land. It’s about the journey and process of getting that particular career.
The bottom line is that everyone follows their own path. It's fine if you have no idea where you want to go. It's fine to experiment for years before deciding where you want to go. It's also fine to attempt things and fail. What a dull existence it would be if we constantly succeeded?
There are moments when it is unpleasant and times when it is annoying. I've discovered that those are frequently terrific moments to study.
So don't put any pressure on yourself to make a decision on your future job. Instead, accept the fact that your professional path will be a lengthy and often challenging one, and that you can and will figure out what to do along the way.
Have a happy journey ahead!!