Career Advice for Graduates and Habits to Develop Early

Introduction:

Have you read the book ‘Pride and Prejudice’ by Jane Austen? 

The book starts with the famous line “It is a truth universally acknowledged, that a single man in possession of a good fortune, must be in want of a wife.” In our century, a single man is rarely in possession of a good fortune or in ‘want of a wife’, and the same goes for a single woman. So for us, the line would go something like, ‘It is a truth almost universally acknowledged, that a person newly graduated and seeking a job, must be in want of some good career advice.’ If you acknowledge this truth and have come seeking career advice for graduates, you are welcome. 

Setting aside the tongue-in-cheek way of looking at it, let’s explore some habits that a newly graduated person must cultivate in order to start their career. In this blog, you will get concrete career advice for graduates that you can start implementing right away. 

• Don’t Stop Learning:

Once you get through college, it’s natural to assume that all your learning days are behind you and other stages of life await now. It’s a mistake. In our contemporary working culture, having this kind of approach is fatal to your career. With rapid advancements in technology and the dynamic nature of the job market, it’s essential that you stay relevant. This can only be done by pursuing lifelong learning. It is the best career advice for graduates. 

Try to seek opportunities that would boost your professional development like attending webinars and workshops, while also remaining in touch with all the new developments in your field. There are countless courses online that can help you to upskill, and a variety of certification courses you can enroll into, which would make sure your resume retains an edge over others. Never stop learning.

• Develop Soft Skills:

Another important career advice for graduates is to develop soft skills. You can have all the technical know-how as you enter a job, but if you lack soft skills, your career will show stunted growth. Your potential would always remain half realized. Soft skills is a broad term which includes communication, active listening, empathy, conflict resolution, persuasion, leadership and so on. 

Every single skill that comes under the umbrella of soft skills, is essential to cultivate. Life becomes easier at work when you are able to interact with your peers and supervisors in a graceful and effective manner.  

Also Read: Rapport Building at Workplace – 6 Victorious Ways

• Cultivate a Strong Work Ethic:

In college years, you can get away with a relatively weak work ethic (we all know the last minute preparations for semester exams). This won’t work in the professional sphere. If you have recently graduated and about to start a career, know that one of the only things that you control is your work ethic. Professionals from all fields that excel at their work, if asked for career advice for graduates, always put a strong work ethic above all else.

Taking responsibility for your actions and showing initiative when necessary will set you apart as a dedicated professional. It will open doors for you that you never knew existed. Showing up even when you don’t feel like it should be your ideal as a new graduate about to start on a career.

• Embrace your Mistakes:

Mistakes are an inevitable part of learning and growth. When you start your career, you are bound to face challenges and commit a lot of mistakes. Never hide them. Acknowledging your mistakes will demonstrate accountability and integrity. Your peers and supervisors will respect you for it and your credibility will increase. 

If you are afraid of committing mistakes, you will not be able to take necessary risks or pursue ambitious goals. Fear of failure can lead to paralysis. If you embrace your mistakes, it would liberate you to take calculated risks and persevere in the face of challenges. Remember this, as it is essential career advice for graduates. 

• Network:

There is a lot of buzz around the word ‘networking’ in the corporate world. This piece of career advice for graduates might have filtered down to you through other channels, because every other person hits you on the head with the same advice – ‘Keep Networking’. But how does one go about networking really?

Building a strong professional network is a really good step to career growth. In order to start networking, attend industry events, workshops and conferences in your field of work. You can also sign up on websites like Meetup to track any professional meet that might happen around the area where you live. The people you meet while networking may also turn out to be good friends down the line.

Also Read: Professional Networking – The Art of Building Meaningful Connections

• Seek a Mentor:

When we come out of college, there are few students who can say that they had mentors guiding them through those years. This is the reason why people don’t see much in mentorship. But, if you really want a head start to your career, a mentorship can be a game-changer. Having a mentor can help you beat challenges, capitalize on opportunities and gain valuable industry knowledge. This is a piece of career advice for graduates that they effectively ignore, never realizing what they are missing.

To secure a mentorship, look for experienced individuals in your field and try to approach them for guidance. Having a good professional network can be really helpful in this regard. 

• Leverage the Power of Social Media:

We live in a world where a presence on social media is a given. There are many downsides to it, but we are going to focus on the upsides that have become possible because of it in the professional domain. These social media platforms greatly help in networking, personal branding, and staying informed about the industry trends. Also, this piece of career advice is easy to execute as many people already use social media. 

You can create a profile on any of the popular social networks and then build it in concert with your professional portfolio. Companies even check LinkedIn and Twitter handles of potential employees. Graduates can use LinkedIn to connect with alumni and potential mentors. However, this social media presence must be professional and responsible, as it is very easy to lose yourself in the dirty waters of it. 

Learn with DT Evolve:

Are you looking to develop habits that would serve you throughout your professional career? One of the things that you would face regularly when starting out to build a habit is frustration and anger at yourself. Getting angry is the appropriate response many times, but when you are doing something for yourself and still getting angry, it is not good. This anger will hamper your progress in habit formation, and is generally not very healthy. It’s also good career advice to tame your anger as it backfires quickly in office settings. If you are looking for resources that will help you in this regard, DT Evolve has a course for you. In this course, you will learn how to recognize, manage and control your actions before it takes over your actions and your life. Here’s the link to the course, Taming Your Anger.   

Conclusion:

Career advice can only go so far. Without proper implementation, whatever you have learned from this blog would be worthless. If you see any value to anything that we talked about in outlining the most salient career advice for graduates, make sure to try it for yourself. Try developing soft skills, while cultivating a better work ethic. Be responsible for yourself and embrace any mistakes you commit. As you are just starting your professional career, make sure to network as much as you can, and see if you can find a mentor for yourself. Lastly, leverage the power of Social Media, and use it responsibly for your own ends. All the very best for your career ahead!