A fresh grad? Take note of these five things

You graduated. 

First of all congratulations!

Regardless of who you are it's not an easy feat and this is an accomplishment that you should be very proud of so firstly, congratulations and well done.

Now what would I tell the freshly graduated version of me knowing what I know now I my limited time out there?....

I'd like to reflect on 5 things that I would keep in the back of my mind if I'm just starting out.

1) Calm down

As cliché as it may sound but don't panic, this won't get you anywhere, the fact that you're reading these types of articles means you're ahead of the herd and you're doing well.

So tip #1 CLAM DOWN!

2) Don't figure out what you like, figure out what you dislike

There's A lot of pressure on the notion of finding your passion and doing what you love, that's all cutesy and what not but it's a big thing to ask for from a 20 something year old.

Rather, go out there and try, try different things, you'll find it easier to identify what you don't like rather than what you actually like. But, once you find that sweet spot of finding something that challenges you, gets you excited and that you initially "like", stick to it and take it form there. Go easy on yourself... You're on the right track.

3) Pick a manager not a company

Direction and intention matter!

There's A lot focus on job applications and making sure that you apply to all the vacancies listed by your dream company or a "big".

Your focus shouldn't be on the company rather the people who work there and most importantly the person you're going to work with... YOUR MANAGER.

Your manager dictates your experience, learning curve, exposure and A lot of things that as a fresh graduate starting out have more weight than financials or a reputable name.

In your interview don't just be a recipient of questions, rather ask questions yourself and try and get to know your interviewer (most probably your manager) in a better way. 

A good manager in a bad company is better off than a bad manager at an amazing company.

Choose the manager, Not the company.

4) Just start

Hard truth alert. 

Things won't be perfect, and from all the people I've meet and the experiences that I've witnessed, things rarely are perfect once you graduate and are on the hunt for a job. 

You keep weighing your options and waiting for that perfect application to click, that interviewer to call or the inbox to increase by a mere +1.

Don't wait, keep applying to whatever you find relevant (go back to tip #2) 

An opportunity opens the door for another one, and another one, and another one. 

You need to start, don't wait for things to be perfect, do what you can and move on. 

Just start! 

5) Keep them alive

What are them? 

I'm talking about your hopes and plans that you had when you were day dreaming in the 30 minute lecture gap in senior year. 

Yes, IT IS TOUGH OUT THERE and yes you'll get carried away by work, connections, further education and even more work. 

But most importantly. Keep them (Hopes, plans, dreams) alive. 

If I’ll leave you with something at the ends it’s this...Life after graduation is a good one, you just need to navigate it properly, there'll be a lot of trial and a lot of errors but you need to keep going. 

Remind yourself, you doing GREAT and slowly but surely that perfect version of yourself after graduation that you always envisioned will take form without you even realizing.