How to Be Prepared for the ‘Real World’
A lifestyle blog post on how to search for jobs after graduating college. Keep reading for five job-hunting tips!
Still alive but barely hanging on
I recently graduated from Ithaca College, and I’m in the process of finding a job.
It’s hard to tell if college prepared me for post-grad life. After being in school for the last 20 years, it’s weird living without it.
I’ve adjusted pretty easily to not having hundreds of pages of readings to do, but it’s been hard to get used to not having a school schedule to decide my weekly plans.
All of a sudden, I was graduated and left with all the free time in the world. There’s no one telling me when to work or be productive. Instead, I can do whatever I want, whenever I want, or until I get a job.
Even though I felt slightly unprepared after graduating college, there were a couple of required classes that focussed on “preparing us for the real world” that I took throughout my four years.
1. Acknowledge the small steps
In my senior year, I took an intermediate seminar and a writing capstone.
My environmental major required us to take three seminars – introduction, intermediate, and advanced– but I only took the second one and got out of the other two.
Maybe I’d have a job if I took all three.
Intermediate seminar was taught by one of my favorite professors and about half of my friend group was in the class, so I definitely enjoyed it.
The class focussed on identifying our skills and how to showcase them for future employers. I won’t get into the nitty-gritty, but I’ll tell you about one of our in-class assignments.
My professor handed out blank sheets of paper and had us describe our current status in life. Next, he had us describe where we wanted to be in five years, then ten years. Once we finished, he asked us to write down how we could meet those goals.
This got me thinking introspectively about not just what career I wanted but what I needed to do to get there.
It made me realize that not every step would be a giant milestone but instead, there would be small things that I needed to reach before I got to those bigger goals.
Becoming a famous writer is the big picture. Right now I need to focus on the small details.
As a writer, I’m used to writing a piece, publishing it, and instantly seeing the results.
Now, I have this long-term goal of a successful writing career. Instead of publishing left and right and becoming famous overnight, my life is now filled with small milestones that aren’t that exciting.
When I finish enough of those tiny steps I’ll start to see the bigger picture. But as everyone keeps telling me, it takes time.
I’m definitely in the period where I’m working on those small steps. It feels weird to not have tangible results of success to prove I’m doing the right thing, but I’m learning that that’s life. I have to do the hard stuff to reach the big stuff.
So that’s my first step in preparing for the "real world”: acknowledge the small stuff.
Some examples of the small stuff:
An email back from a possible network or connection
A rejection email instead of silence
An interview (the results don’t matter. An interview is always a success)
A completed project of any kind
2. Get comfortable with rejection
The second class I took senior year was my senior capstone. Capstone classes or projects have you look at your past work and identify what you’ve learned.
I didn’t get much from looking through my college experience because it just made me emo of what I was leaving. However, this class was helpful because my professor brought in a lot of guest speakers.
Those speakers helped us realize the most important thing about being a writer: rejection is normal.
One of our guests was a writing professor who discussed his publishing process. To do this, he showed us a document of all the publications he sent work into and whether he was published or not.
I remember this class because my professor’s document was filled with rejection after rejection after rejection.
Many of my writing classes during my senior year involved guest speakers discussing their experience with publishing. Never did a speaker talk about publishing and not talk about rejection.
Those speakers emphasized that getting established in the writing world comes with rejections, and it’s not easy.
This was one of the best things my professors did for us because it prepared me for rejection. As I face no after no, I’m grateful my professors didn’t sugarcoat anything.
I’ll be honest, I didn’t think applying to jobs would be this draining, but I think those classes prepared me to put the work in.
I’ve had interviews and submissions and have already faced my fair share of “no’s,” which hasn’t been easy.
So here is my second step: rejection is okay!
Even though I mostly experience writing rejection, this applies to everything. No matter your career field or the job you want, rejection is going to happen, so you better get used to it.
3. Put the effort in
Recently I’ve noticed that I look at other people and say “hm I wish I could do that.”
I realized what a cop-out that is; it’s almost like I’m admitting defeat before I even try.
“Hm, I wish I could have that job” or “Hm I wish I could blog like that,” was my response whenever I saw someone doing something I wished I was doing.
I won’t have a trending blog or famous novel if I sit on the sidelines and watch other people do it. I won’t live life as a celebrity if I don’t try to establish myself.
The hardest part was starting.
Starting the blog, creating my website, researching what sites to use and what will get me views. But once I started and got over the steep parts, it got easier.
This isn’t necessarily applying for jobs, but I think working towards your goal or future can be related to finding a job.
We apply for jobs to establish a career and prepare for the future, but we should also work towards projects and goals that can do the same.
Sure, one is more traditional, but there’s nothing wrong with the other.
My third step is: to stop sitting around and do it!
Applying for jobs is not the only way to start your life. There is more to success and your future than just jobs.
4. Create templates and tools
Applying for jobs has started to feel pointless. Out of five jobs, I’ll probably hear back from two of them. Out of those two, maybe I’ll get one interview.
It’s hard to find the motivation to apply when it feels like there’s no point.
Something that’s made it easier to apply is to have shortcuts.
Since I’ve been applying to jobs that are usually similar positions, I have about three or four cover letters that I can adjust and edit to fit each job. This takes away the stress of having to write a new one every time and makes the process less daunting.
I also have multiple resumes.
Since I majored in two pretty different degrees, I have some experience that would only clutter my resume.
My career counselor at school suggested I make three basic resumes: an overall one, a writing one, and an environmental one.
The overall resume allows me to have all my information in one place. I usually never send this one to jobs. Instead, I use it as a place to refer to when making my more precise resumes.
Creating shortcuts makes the process less of a headache. For me, these templates take some of the stressful steps out of applying.
My fourth step: be strategic and make your life easier.
5. Network…
Everyone’s least favorite word.
As uncomfortable as it is, networking is already proving to be helpful for me.
It doesn’t have to just be professional emails and reaching out to alumni. The most important part is making connections of any kind.
Networking is all about meeting people who might have advice or knowledge that can help you. It doesn’t have to be overwhelming if you think about it as making new friends. Friends that might be able to help you out.
Once I got over the nerves of emailing strangers, I started reaching out to people at places I’m interested in working at.
I’ve started emailing editors and other connections to places I’d like to write for. I emailed the founder of a blog I like to read, and it ended up turning into a freelance opportunity.
I don’t ask for a job right away.
I introduce myself, explain what I want to learn, and ask for advice on getting into my specific field. Then, so it isn’t the main part of the email, I explain I’m looking for writing opportunities and would love to hear about anything they have.
I’ve never gotten any rude or mean emails back; the worst that has happened is people don’t respond or they say no thank you.
Despite how awkward and uncomfortable it feels to reach out to strangers, remember that they probably were in the same position as you once.
Everyone I talk to tells me that networking will help me get a job, so I’ve been putting my extroverted talents to work.
Even though the first one was a rejection and the second was a maybe, it still helped me meet people and gain experience.
So my final step to creating a career and getting your sh!t together: network, network, network!
Post-grad isn’t easy. If your parents are giving you crap for not having a job or you think you’re the only person feeling like this, think of me. We’ve got this! I hope you all loved this post and check back next week for another book review.
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