{"id":1198,"date":"2007-06-26T05:00:12","date_gmt":"2007-06-26T12:00:12","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/getrichslowly.org\/blog\/2007\/06\/26\/advice-to-the-college-graduate\/"},"modified":"2019-10-09T23:28:27","modified_gmt":"2019-10-10T06:28:27","slug":"advice-to-the-college-graduate","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.getrichslowly.org\/advice-to-the-college-graduate\/","title":{"rendered":"Career advice for the college graduate"},"content":{"rendered":"

This article was written by Lisa Lessley Briscoe.<\/b> <\/i><\/p>\n

My friend (and fellow Bearcat<\/a>) Lisa writes: “I was just poking around on GRS (I don’t usually read) and noticed that you’d posted an entry for college graduates recently<\/a>. Funny how summer rolls around and you start thinking about stuff.” She’s passed along some additional advice for those just entering the workplace.<\/p>\n

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Congratulations<\/b>, you just graduated from an excellent liberal arts college!<\/p>\n

You worked incredibly hard to complete your degree and now it\u2019s all behind you: general education requirements, a wealth of extracurricular activities, those classes for your major and minor, perhaps a semester abroad, and a thesis and its accompanying oral defense. You\u2019ve invested a great deal of time, effort, and money into your degree and now you\u2019re ready to conquer the world.<\/p>\n

Where to live? Pack up that futon and wave goodbye to your family! You find a city that suits you (say, Seattle), settle in after an age-old argument with your housemates over who gets which room, and get started on the job search.<\/p>\n

Sure, your resum\u00e9 isn\u2019t bursting with experience (after all, how far can you stretch your meager retail and accounting clerk duties from summer jobs?), but you know you\u2019re smart, energetic, and ambitious, not to mention the liberal arts clincher: you\u2019ve \u201clearned how to learn.\u201d<\/p>\n

You mail your resum\u00e9 to a number of prospective employers, but no one calls back. You try to network, but no one knows of any available jobs. Your mother begins asking how long you\u2019ll look before you decide to move back home. Things are bad.<\/p>\n

What to do? The rent must be paid, not to mention the car insurance and grocery bill, even if it\u2019s just Top Ramen. Ah, well, it appears that Queen of the Photocopier is the best title you\u2019ll get. Your roommates are bank clerks and receptionists, and the all-you-can-eat buffet at the local pizza joint becomes a regular event in your week. (One roommate sneaks out extra slices in her pockets.) You are underestimated, frustrated, and misunderstood.<\/p>\n

I was there, believe me. And I feel your pain. Looking back fifteen years later, here\u2019s what I wish someone had told me\u2026<\/p>\n

You lack experience. Regardless of all your education and energy, you just don\u2019t have it. And there\u2019s no way to gain that experience without working for a while. It stinks and it\u2019s unfair, but that\u2019s the way it is. To really excel in a field \u2014 any field \u2014 you must be in it day after day.<\/b><\/p>\n

Out in the world, you need to have something to show, and you often have to earn it by tedious drudgery. While you\u2019re busy being a peon, some people will completely ignore your existence, some will assume that you aren\u2019t capable of an intelligent thought, and some will be downright condescending and mean. It\u2019s profoundly frustrating.<\/p>\n

However, working for a few years as a copy clerk, a receptionist, an office boy, a customer service representative, or whatever, does not condemn you to a permanent career in that position. When I turned 25 and found myself working as a receptionist, I was profoundly depressed. I was certain that I would be stuck in that chair with a headset forever. It may take a year or two, but you certainly can transition into something else if that\u2019s what you want.<\/p>\n

Now, here\u2019s what I really<\/i> wish that I\u2019d known\u2026 If the less-than-entry-level jobs are virtually unavoidable when you have just finished college, use them to your advantage.<\/b> So, you have to be a receptionist\/copy clerk\/customer support rep for a year or so; make the most of it. Take a job in a field that interests you. Use your time to be exposed to the jargon, attitudes, and daily vibe of the field. Sure, you may have limited exposure, but every little bit counts.<\/p>\n