Finding Your Career Path: Essential Strategies For Recent Graduates
The night before I graduated college I was scared.
While the other seniors were celebrating a so-called happy time, I was freaking out.
“Am I going to have to work 40 hours a week until I’m an old man?” I asked myself.
It was at that point I realized that even though I had gotten great grades in school and completed internships successfully, I didn’t actually have a career plan.
I wanted to be a professional baseball player until my Senior year of High School, when I realized that wasn’t happening. I figured since I liked sports, I would major in Sports Management when I got to college. Then when I was in college, I realized working for a sports organization paid terribly and was highly competitive.
So, on the night before I graduated, it dawned on me, I didn’t actually have any type of plan for a career. It wasn’t a great feeling.
I tell this story not to scare the Seniors in High School and College, but more as a warning. Unless you are a really lucky person, a career path and more importantly a high paying job won’t just fall into your lap after you graduate.
YOU NEED TO HAVE A STRATEGY FOR YOUR CAREER
In this article you are going to get the following
1. EFFECTIVE CAREER STRATEGIES FOR HIGH SCHOOL GRADUATES
2. EFFECTIVE CAREER STRATEGIES FOR COLLEGE GRADUATES
I’m sure you’ve probably heard things like:
-Network
-Get an internship
-Have a Resume and Cover Letter
These are obviously important things, but having a purpose and strategy before and after you graduate will give you the confidence you need to succeed.
Now that we’ve touched the surface, let’s dive deeper and get you on the path to a wonderful career.
Effective Career Strategies for Recent Graduates: High School Students
*A note here, we are only focusing on high school graduates not going to college. If you’re planning on going to college and need guidance, check out The Ultimate Guide For Choosing the Right College and Steps For Choosing A College Major.
Now, if you spent the past four years of High School chasing girls, hanging out with friends and barely passing classes, don’t panic.
While your parents probably aren’t too happy about the past four years, there’s still time to turn it around.
1. Career Strategy for Recent High School Graduate #1: Take A Year to Work in Different Industries
Believe it or not, there is no law that you have to go to college after you graduate from high school. If you skated by for the past four years, taking a year to think about the next move for your career is a good idea.
Start applying for jobs that require little to no experience. If you think you might want to work with customers or clients down the road, apply for these jobs:
-Waiter/Waitress
-Cashier
-Event Assistant
-Party Host Assistant
If you aren’t really a people person and want to do something where you have less interaction with people, try applying for these:
-Freelance Writer
-Virtual Assistant
-Research Assistant
2. Career Strategy for Recent High School Graduate #2: Register for The Military
This one sounds intimidating. Let’s be clear:
I’m not telling you to join the army and be in the front lines in the Middle East.
Joining the military is not a death wish. You aren’t guaranteed to wind up with PTSD, fight in a war, or get killed so just take a breath.
Yes, joining the Army, Navy, Marines or Air Force is certainly a commitment. You’ll have to give up a couple years of your life to service for your country. In return though, you’ll have an amazing opportunity to find work that you enjoy. Forgetting any combat roles, you can pursue careers in:
-Engineering
-Computer Science
-Data and Analytics
The list goes on and on. Don’t just take my word for it though, find out more by checking out usa.gov.
3. Career Strategy for Recent High School Graduate #3: Start A Business
This may be the toughest choice but could wind up being the most lucrative.
Starting a business is not easy.
In an article from Investopedia, according to the Department of Labor, only about 25% of new businesses make it past the 15 year mark. If you can do that math (hopefully you can or you might not want to go down this road) about 75% of new businesses fail.
If that’s the case, then why am I telling you to start a business if it’s likely to fail. Well, because as a high school graduate, in a majority of cases, this is the time in your life when you can take the most risk.
You hopefully don’t have a family to feed and are most likely still living at home with your parents which means your cost of living is low and you don’t have many bills (if you’re smart).
This doesn’t mean you should just start a business for the heck of it because you have nothing else to do after high school though. You should be extremely thoughtful in the type of business you decide to start and talk to as many people as you can before doing it.
Now is the easiest time in history to start a business. In a lot of cases, you can do it from the comfort of your own home. Here’s some business ideas for high school graduates:
1. Landscaping Business
a. All you need is a lawnmower, a weed-wacker and a good work ethic.
2. An Etsy Store
a. You could sell clothes, crafts, etc.
3. Window Washing/Power Washing
a. Low start-up costs and pretty easy to learn how to do.
There are tons of businesses you can create and succeed in if you put effort into it. Just note, it will take a lot of work and determination to succeed.
Effective Career Strategies for Recent Graduates: College Students
If you are a college graduate, the good news is you have a degree so that gives you a slight advantage. Unfortunately, these days, a Bachelor’s degree isn’t too prestigious, but let’s stay positive.
1. Career Strategy for Recent College Graduate #1: Follow Your Heart and Not the Money
You’ve probably heard this before, but when you’re offered a job paying you $100,000 right out of college it’s pretty hard to say no. You probably spent the past four ears in college living on ramen noodles and fast food trying to save money so when you’re offered a job paying 100 times what you were making in school, it’s easy to say yes.
After I graduated from college, I was struggling to find something and getting desperate. I had an offer to work at Morgan Stanley for a nice amount of money which I wound up taking.
Did I want to work at Morgan Stanley? No.
Did I want to be in the Financial Services industry? No.
Was I desperate to get a job so it looked like I was doing something with my life? Yes.
This pulled me into a life I didn’t want for myself, and it was extremely difficult to get out after being in the life for multiple years. (This sounds like a sentence a former Mafia Associate would say.)
The point here is to take your time and pursue what makes you happy, not what you think will make you rich. As a college graduate, now is the time to take risks. You’re young and shouldn’t have too many bills to pay or mouths to feed. Don’t put a ball and chain on yourself before you’re ready.
2. Career Strategy for Recent College Graduate #2: Work, Work, Work
This is a strategy for those of you who’ve secured a job but aren’t really sure how to build your career strategy. The answer is to work your butt off.
It might be daunting and not something you want to hear, but when you are fresh out of college, as long as you are healthy, you should be able to work…a lot. Assuming you’ve found the career you love, you should be putting your heart and soul into it.
I’m not saying you can’t hang out with friends or girlfriends/boyfriends, but you shouldn’t be afraid to work more than 40 hours a week. Show your employer or your clients that you are reliable, have great work ethic, and are the “go to” person to get stuff done.
Before you have to worry about a family, a mortgage, etc., make every effort to be the best at your job. Take every opportunity to learn and improve on your craft.
If you’re a doctor, see as many patients as you physically can in a day. Be on call and be able to be there for your patients in an emergency.
Young people get the bad reputation of not wanting to work, so if you’re in the right role, show everyone that you want to be the best at it.
3. Career Strategy for Recent College Graduate #3: Be the Best Listener in the Room
Listening is hard.
When my wife talks to me about what’s bothering her, I’m usually too quick to jump in and tell her how to fix things.
The better listener you become, the better you get at your career. I can promise you that. Listening to your boss’s feedback about your performance and learning how to fix it is an important skill that many people don’t have. Understanding what your client needs before trying to solve their problems is essential.
Become a better listener and watch how you progress through your career.
Final Thoughts for The Graduates
Graduation is a time for a new beginning, but it’s also a time to build on the past four years.
Whether you’re graduating from High School or College, a career strategy is essential if you want to be successful in life and not wind up in a job you hate for 50 years.
If you’re struggling to figure out a career strategy, don’t hesitate to reach out to your friends at Your Career Strategy where our coaches will guide you through your journey to success.
If you have a career strategy that works for you, let us know. We’d love to hear from you!