An Open Letter To A Senior About To Graduate College

When you Graduate College it can be an exciting and yet terrifying thing. You can do it! You can finish school? Then what? You picked your major, passed the classes and are ready to explore those options in the real world. You are a Senior About to graduate College. You have your whole life ahead of you and now you will have the steps to add to it.

Internship While You Can.

While in College do as many internships as you can. Start as soon as you pick your major. Start doing minor internships to get used to the idea. Especially your senior year, you can get your foot in the door with one company, possibly stay there or at least have that on your resume for the next one waiting down the line. It helps build your confidence, your character and your resume once you are ready to graduate.

Don’t Panic.

First thing’s first. DON’T PANIC. When graduating College, you should be more excited than scared. After all, you have taken all your classes, received your degree in something you are passionate about and are ready to take that energy and passion into the world! So why Panic. Take your time. Start applying for Jobs in March or sooner if you can. Ask around. Get your foot in the door and your name in their inbox. There are so many simple steps you can take before you jump out the door.

Be Prepared To Grow Up Fast

When you graduate college, it will feel very fast to all of the sudden be an adult. You might feel like on in your last two years, but you won’t really know until you walk out that door. No more teachers accepting late assignments or makeup work, no more tests. Your skills and character are all that matter now. When you graduate College expect to step it up about 5 notches. But do it with style. Put your head up, shoulders back and walk strong. But don’t expect to be an expert. No one wants a 22 year old college graduate telling them what to do. Ask for advice or help ad don’t be afraid to say “This is how I was taught about this thing? Is that accurate? Am I missing any information?” It will make your co-worker feel as if you are trying and collaborating.

Give It A Couple of Years to Settle Down.

You can’t expect to graduate College and know everything. There are still many aspects to add to your knowledge. Especially as technology takes over and expands, the limits are endless. So don’t walk out of college like you know what’s about to happen. Inf act, even if you were to get your dream job right out of college, it still might take a few years for things to feel right where you need them to be. Looking back, I didn’t feel like I got comfortable with anything in my early adulthood until I was about 26 years old. Just know that it takes time.

Paying Bills

Then there is that whole “adult-ing” thing. It’s real. If you are like me and had the wonderful support of your parents throughout college, paying bills was not something I had experience in. For me it was a sink or swim moment. Find a budget that works for you. Figure out how to not spend every dime on pizza and beer. Graduating College is huge especially if you have student loans.

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Take the Small Victories

Take every small victory for what it’s worth. Try to learn something new every day. Whether its a function on the copy machine, or a new edit in the office program you are training to use. Every little bit of a small victory makes the job easier and feel a little sweeter. Be the first one there in the morning and the one always taking notes. You don’t have to be a kiss up, that is never going to help. But you can be a reliable and helpful employee.

Never Stop Learning

Let your mind and knowledge keep growing. Take a class once a year to keep your mind fresh and keep you on top of your A game. I graduated in 2005. I miss school. I really do. I am always finding things to do to keep my brain occupied so i don’t lose some of the things i learned. You’ll appreciate it in the long run. Plus, most business will pay upfront for you to continue your education. So that’s a bonus!