Manual Workers

Determining Your New Career for the Recent College Graduate

One of the frustrating things about obtaining a university education these days is that the fields of study are extremely vague. For example, a Bachelor of Arts does not guarantee you any sort of career. A Bachelor of communications or business does not mean you will be running your own business tomorrow. This can be seen as a good thing, and a bad thing. The good thing about graduating from college with a BA or a BSc is that you have opened the doors for hundreds of career opportunities in all sorts of sectors and industries. However, the bad thing about this is that you are often forced to choose which career path to take. And this can be overwhelming and often impossible for a fresh college grad.

So how do you know what you should "be when you grow up?" You've graduated from college; you are officially a grown up. So now what?

College teaches you some of the basic skills that you will need to succeed in all industries. For example, meeting deadlines, public speaking, writing reports, using a computer and working independently and with a group are all important skills that a college education can bring. Now it's your change to take these skills and adapt them to any career you want.

Most college graduated will have to start at the bottom of the food chain. Sure, you have the education but now you need the experience. And this is where being an "entry level", "junior" and "intern" comes in. Don't take these titles as an insult; take them as a challenge and see how long it takes to move up and rid yourself of these titles.

One of the best ways to find that first career out of college is to search through companies that you want to work for. For example, if you want to be in television or print, then look at all jobs (including the lower ones) at your newspaper, television station, etc. You cannot expect to be an editor of a newspaper or a television anchor right away. Instead, you will most likely start off as an assistant, a lackey or an intern. If you are looking for a career with a large financial institution, check the big banks' websites for career opportunities and work your way to the top.

Another way to find a new career fresh out of college is to base your search on your skills. For example, if you know you are good with people and you have a marketing degree then look for a career that requires you to talk on the job. This could be in any industry from media to tourism and anything in between.

When looking for that new job it's important to find the balance between your education and your skills. Just because you have a degree in History doesn't mean you need to limit your search to history museums. A college degree is the first step to gaining the skills needed to succeed in a career. The rest is up to you.