Not So Happily Ever After: Challenges Post-Graduation

Congratulations! You’ve made it, we are so proud of you, so what’s next?

You’ve officially graduated and earned a degree in the field you always loved, now what? Roll up your sleeves, the show is about to begin.

Let me break it down for you, you’ve officially left the academic world and must join the active workforce universe, but it’s not as easy as you think it is. The transition is not smooth as you expect, and you are probably feeling exhausted, anxious, overwhelmed, and confused, but it’s ok because it’s all part of the transition. You are questioning your career choices and maybe even felt you’ve chosen the wrong degree to pursue. But you’re not alone. Almost all graduates had those rollercoaster emotions and thoughts, and the below are five challenges graduates face post-graduation:

Lack of Clear Direction:

You finally graduated and earned a degree, what’s next?

As a new graduate, a degree or a diploma doesn’t draw your career path. And it’s ok to feel frustrated, overwhelmed, and maybe a bit confused about what should be your next step. You might be torn between pursuing a Master’s degree or any further education or choosing your career. Even some graduates might need a break and choose to travel instead, or simply get the rest they need and clear their minds before choosing what they want. Others might start applying for internships to get an idea of the job market.

Job Hunting:

What career fits me the most?

During your university days, you’ve pictured yourself as an accomplished doctor, a great Biology teacher, or a successful salesperson working at your dream company. And it’s essential to have a vision of your desired career path post-graduation, but this job might not fit you perfectly as you’ve envisioned. Your first job doesn’t always meet your expectations or what the 19-year-old younger version of you once imagined. It takes a long time to figure out what you want and what suits you best, and with life challenges, you are always faced with obstacles to make you question every decision and step you take.

Identifying Skills:

What skills do I need to have?

They don’t teach you in university that for every job there are several skills essential for you to have. There’s a huge gap between what graduates have and the skills needed by employers.

Needing experience, but having no experience:

How come I am expected to have an experience if I’m not accepted to work due to my lack of experience?

It’s the toughest problem you’ll face once you graduate. As a graduate job seeker, you want to be employed to have your first work experience, but you find yourself rejected for having no experience. In the work universe, it doesn’t matter if you aced your courses in university or have a GPA of 4. Employers would rather hire a person with experience than roll the dice with a new graduate of GPA 4 and no experience. Thus, a real job experience will make you more marketable.

Responsibility:

What should I choose?

Back in university, you had everything planned out. You had advisors to help you choose the right courses to graduate on time and you were given a clear syllabus to guide you through the semester. Now that you’ve graduated, you officially joined the adult world. Not an easy one, kid!

Now, you are responsible to make the decisions and choose what you want to do. And it’s challenging. There are higher expectations and more pressure.

This is when personal leadership comes into play.

Join me for a free “Personal Leadership for Students and Graduates” webinar on June 21, from 6:00 till 7:00 PM (Beirut time.) We will dive into the concept and importance of personal leadership and explore how you can identify yours, in order to lead yourself in the right direction.

The webinar will be held via ZOOM, use the below link to register: https://us06web.zoom.us/meeting/register/tZApd-GvrD4qGNOLQ1OU9LygtFLaHNUZJW-g

After the session, you will have a better understanding of how to make better decisions, how to find what to like to do, become financially independent and grow your career while avoiding crisis impacts. You’ll also benefit from a toolkit that will help you brainstorm, plan and implement these decisions!