If you recently graduated, you may be feeling a little lost. Up until now, you’ve always had a plan. Go to school. Get your degree. But now, you are entering the world of limitless possibilities! You may be having all kinds of fears and self-doubt, thinking things like:

  • I have little to no experience in the workforce.
  • I still don’t even know what I want to do yet!
  • What if I pick a job and hate it?
  • I’ve never had a real interview before.
  • My parents think I should do X, but I want to do Y.  

It’s so easy to get lost in your own thoughts and allow worry and fear to take over. But don’t worry. We’re here to help! Here are 5 pieces of advice for new graduates:

  1. Don’t let anyone else decide your path. Your future is yours. Own it. Work takes up about a fourth of our lives between the ages of 22-65. Only you can decide how you want to spend 25% of your time.
  2. Your education shouldn’t stop now. You might feel so excited—you never have to study again! But, that’s not really the case. No matter what your career path is, you’ll need to continue learning in your field to stay relevant and marketable. Never stop learning.
  3. Do your research. There are plenty of sites such as Glassdoor that will give you insider knowledge from past employees. Find out what other people are saying, what the company culture is like, if there’s room for growth, and what the benefits are like. There are a lot of factors that make a company a right fit.
  4. You are never stuck in whatever job you choose. While you should always try to stick it out long enough to gain at least a little experience, if you hate your job, you are not stuck! You can often ask to switch teams or departments if you find something that better suits you. Sometimes you just have to get your foot in the door.
  5. Choose something you love over money. As stated in the first point, you’re going to spend a fourth of your day to day life at work. If you love what you do, you will be so much happier  in life than if you sell out for a job you hate. If you choose something you’re passionate about, you will be more likely to excel, you won’t get burned out as fast, and the money will come anyway.

If you still feel afraid of what lies ahead, give us a call (816) 986-0909 or email info@platinumresumes.com, and let us help you get started with your professional career today!