Look, guys, it’s a mess of possibilities out there.
The world, after college, is somehow both open to you and impossible to seize. Between needing experience to get a job—but not being able to get experience first because you’re too “new”—and feeling like you don’t know what to do with your degree, overwhelm sinks in.
The good thing is companies like fresh eyes and ideas.
When you’re going into your first job, you don’t bring along your own baggage of how things “should be.” You’re adaptable and eager. Use that! + use your nerves, your excitement, and your work ethic.
Ya got this. But here are some tips to seal the deal (trust me, I was just in your shoes).
Ask yourself these questions to figure out what to do with your degree:
- What are you passionate about?
- Realistically, what can you afford to pursue? (Sorry, but fresh outta school with loans, you probably can’t take the minimum wage job at the pet store.)
- At the end of the day, what do you want to have accomplished? How do you want to feel?
Tips for finding a job during/after college:
- Go to the career fair
- Talk to people—notice I didn’t say “network” ‘cause chills—but ask your friends or people in a club you’re part of if they’ve heard of anyone needing help
- If you’re in a creative field, it can be difficult to try freelancing right away, but you can pitch ideas to companies to grow your resume
- Watch LinkedIn Learning videos if you want a job you’re not quiiiiite qualified for yet
- Hit up the job boards: Monster, Indeed, Glassdoor, LinkedIn, your alumni job board
You might be wondering if there are people like you, or if everyone has a job or a future figured out and you’re the only person reading articles about finding a job as a creative person.
Uh, yes there are people like you.
No, no one knows what they’re doing. We’re all grown up children doing our best to play with the life we’ve been given.
In the interest of figuring out how to start off your career on the right foot once you land a job, let’s look at:
What makes a “successful” new grad?
They take hold of opportunities, whether that means asking someone they admire to coffee or volunteering for more work. It’s nerve-wracking to set foot in a new place and not know what to expect, but they show up strong and take in all they can. It’s a different chapter of life, and that’s okay. It’s good, even.
They’re open to change. They know things won’t always work out. In fact, things might be harder and lonelier than they imagined, or they might be bored to tears in their first role. During these times, it’s important to stay positive, take what they can from the job. There’s always something to learn: meeting etiquette, how to put together a proposal for a new project, how to have difficult conversations with your manager, etc. They are adaptable and sponge-like.
They make the most of their working relationships. Whether it’s an assigned mentor or someone they want to be like, they take advantage of those smarter than them because they know that’s how you learn to be faster, smarter, and more confident in your job. It makes all the difference to sit down with a coworker and walk through a project: Just hearing someone with more expertise talk through their process and thoughts can impart lots of wisdom.
They have goals. Whether it’s a 30-60-90 day plan or just scribbles in a notebook, successful new grads make sure they know what’s coming, what they want to/have to learn, and how they can reverse-engineer deadlines to get everything done in time. They know what they want from their job and make daily goals: Things like “speak up in a meeting” or “take a walk break with a coworker” can help them stay focused and energized on growing professionally.
The options aren’t limited to those above, but I have found them helpful in my career thus far.
Whatever you’re putting out into the world in your new jobs, let’s promise each other to work hard and make it positive.
