What I learned when I transitioned from college to the workforce

We’ve all been there; classes, assignments, roommates, pizza, late nights. Yes, life in University. It’s amazing how fast four years go by and before it’s time for graduation and the next big step; getting a job and starting a career. I recently spoke to a group of students from the University of Buffalo’s Delta Sigma Pi, Alpha Kappa Chapter about my career journey and how I climbed the corporate ladder across different industries. Some students in the audience asked me what it was like to transition from university to the world of gainful employment. Taking the opportunity to share what I’ve learned, I’ve listed a couple points below from my own journey along with some of the questions I was asked.

The need to figure out your future life and career while maintaining grades can be challenging, but taking a step back and assessing the situation can help ease nerves and allow for self-focus. While we never got a Declassified College Survival Guide (thanks, Ned!), surviving senior year is easier than it may look and often we stress ourselves out for no reason. While there are many myths about how one should progress through their senior year, the fact is there are many options available to achieve one’s career goals. My grandma always says it’s “always about the journey, not the destination”. Too often we want to move onto the next phase of our life that we miss out on the little things. Entering the workforce post college is an exciting time and gives you the platform to build your brand and advance the corporate ladder. Moving too fast and being overly ambitious about job advancements takes away from you learning the foundational parts of your job and understanding the overall landscape. Remember, the journey is just as important, if not more, than the destination.  

Your first job is your final job 

While many are focused on trying to find a way into their respective industries, there is immense pressure, whether from family or peers, to immediately land a job in that industry or you’ll never have an opportunity again. There is also the misconception that you need to stay with your company/job which creates more fear and doubt in students who struggle to figure out what they want to do. Your first job can be seen as a stepping stone to your final goal (in some cases, you could very well stay with the same company your entire career). We all start somewhere. For me it was at a grocery store in high school before I entered the video game retail world as a seasonal employee and grew with the company for almost 4.5 years. When I was 16 and scanning groceries and bagging them for customers on the weekend I would have never imagined that fast forward 11 years I would be managing multiple products used firmwide for one of the largest investment banks in the world. You may not land your dream job right away and that’s okay! If you have a job that pays well enough for you to continue living, you can use that as a buffer while you search for jobs post college. Another avenue that can be taken involves having a general understanding of the type of role you want right out of college and begin to do the relevant research.

Another myth tied to this is that once you enter the job market you may regret your career path or find another passion. This is very common, especially newly out of college, as it’s hard to fully lock in what you’d like to do for the rest of your life. If you find yourself in a job that you are no longer passionate about and know where you want to take your career, begin to shop the market and understand what your future role entails in terms of responsibilities and skill sets, and work those into what you’re doing now to help get the competitive advantage when you go to apply. Remember – you are never stuck in a job and you have the ability to drive your career in the direction that you want. Also, most companies have a one-year rule coupled with internal mobility programs where after you have dedicated time to your current role you are able to look internally for other opportunities that may best suit your skill sets and passions; so never feel that you are or will be trapped in a position.

Networking

LinkedIn is a great platform to search for jobs and even add people who are currently in those roles around the world. The best advice to those who do not pursue internships is to find a role you want and look at the job description in order to take several elements and integrate them into what you are doing now. This not only expands your knowledge but builds your resume to include the desired skill sets that recruiters are looking for. I utilize LinkedIn everyday as I engage with and observe my 7,262 connections; watching people get promoted, celebrating the success of others, and demonstrating their ability to make it through tough times. Through the platform I have been able to mentor those entering the workforce for the first time or helping make a career change. Fun fact: I got my latest role when I was searching for vendor management roles in Dallas while speaking to high school seniors on the importance of using social media to your advantage and finding jobs locally – it works! 

Prior to the pandemic I would add executives on LinkedIn and set up 30-minute introductory calls to understand the industry, their role, and what steps they took to get there. Everyone’s story is different and while it’s hard to mimic one’s career path, understanding their mindset and how they positioned themselves into the role and industry can provide insights to further build upon. This became a monthly ritual that I still continue to this day. Networking, whether virtual or in-person, is an important skillset to develop and can open new opportunities whether it be a job, mentorship/speaking engagements, or building friends across industries. It gives you the ability to learn about others across regions, cultures, traditions, and viewpoints. 

It is also important to begin planning for your future, if you haven’t already. All colleges should have a Career Success Center that provides great literature, internship opportunities, and advice for taking the leap into the workforce. Regardless if you are working or not while attending college, it’s best to get this started shortly after you are comfortable navigating your schedule as you never want to miss out on opportunities. Take the time to network with those you encounter in the classroom and halls as you never know where either of you will end up; True friends, potential colleagues, and mentors will be there. 

You need an internship to be successful and land a job 

Internships are an incredible way to get your foot in the door with major companies and begin learning about the industry and gain experience in your respective field. I am a huge proponent of internships, and while they have the ability to kick-start a career, it is not always required in order to get a job. Other options include networking with employees from companies you are interested in and setting introductory meetings with them to learn more about their roles, how they got to where they are, and what they like most about the company they work for. This demonstrates an interest in the specific field and can lead to future opportunities. Regardless of whether or not you land an internship, networking must become part of your daily life. I never had an internship during my senior year of college, however I have seen the opportunities they create for others and the doors that are opened. I have coordinated and interviewed incoming college interns and have watched some enter the workforce and grow into great positions that complemented their skillsets and growth trajectory. I had a decent paying job in retail management that was able to sustain my needs during and after college. I utilized LinkedIn to begin connecting with analysts, managers, executives, etc. across industries to learn what my options were and where I fit. One day I received a direct message from a recruiter of a global staffing firm which not only offered me a pay raise, but allowed me to further enhance my skillsets in sales and got my foot into the corporate world. Point is, if for some reason you don’t get accepted into an internship it’s not the end of the world and while it may be harder to land the same job as someone who has, it’s never impossible!

You need a high GPA to work at big companies 

A high GPA on a resume provides a competitive advantage and demonstrates to employers your ability to balance school with other life activities and maintain the requirements set forth by the college. What this doesn’t mean is if you have a low GPA that you won’t ever be able to get a job at one of the companies that has it as a criterion for the role. If you feel that you can do the job, are a good fit for the company, and are passionate about the role, department, etc., then it’s worth applying in order to not miss out on an opportunity and show the company your capabilities and experience that may supplement the need for a high GPA. Not everyone is able to maintain a high GPA in college due to many factors such as being a single parent, working full time, taking care of family members, etc. Everyone has their own story and background, and no one should feel discouraged or fearful of not landing any job solely due to their grades. If you are interested in a company that does require a high GPA and you don’t have one, you can always join another firm performing a similar role to what you want to do and after a few years apply at that company. Typically, after your first job out of college, GPA is not a requirement and most companies focus on what you did in your role and the value and competitive advantage you bring to the table versus your competition. 

You need to immediately start an MBA program to boost your resume/get a job 

While this can be helpful, I believe that MBAs are best earned and utilized when you have experience as you are able to further bridge the gap between classroom theory and practice. Many companies – yes even the big ones – will hire you with a bachelor’s degree. Don’t feel pressured to dive into an MBA program right away but rather take time to enjoy the hard work you put in over the course of your college career and obtaining your degree. An MBA is an extension of what you have learned in your undergrad business classes, but hones in on more specific areas within the subjects to dive in deeper and challenge your critical and analytical thinking. The more experience you have within your role and an industry, the more capable you are of making the connections between the courses and what you are doing; it’ll help youapply new concepts into what you do. I pursued my MBA after two years in corporate when I was able to understand my job as a Sr. Business Analyst/Vendor Transformation Manager and how the courses impacted my day-to-day operations – which helped me comprehend the lectures. Technically there is no right or wrong time to dive into it, however if you pursue a Master degree of any kind without the actual practice you will enter the workforce with only theory. 

The pandemic and the job market 

While I have not personally been impacted by the pandemic, I have seen those in my network go through tough times; colleagues, friends, strangers. There is a fear for many graduating seniors on if the market will bounce back fast enough to accommodate the needs of all college graduates. A favorite saying of mine is that you shouldn’t worry about the things you can’t control. While it’s perfectly normal to worry, focus that fear into motivation. According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics report, as of the last business day in February 2021, there were 7.4 million job openings. Regardless of a pandemic, companies still have positions that are opened and need to be filled. Certain industries may see a decrease, but that doesn’t mean that the positions won’t come back as the economy and job market fully bounce back to the norm. From the two charts below, we can see the initial impact of COVID-19 on the job market in February/March 2020. As confidence in the vaccine and the general hiring demands of companies increase, jobs openings will continue to rise and the hires vs. separations will begin to readjust to pre-pandemic percentages. 

Virtual vs. In-Person

With my recent discussions with college seniors, aside from the fear of the job market not correcting itself fast enough, there were concerns surrounding virtual college graduates being at a disadvantage for not having experienced in-person engagements or professional settings. While online classes have been around well before the pandemic, it does not replace the face-to-face interaction and networking that you would typically have on a college campus. However, that does not count as an excuse for not being able to connect with people virtually through introductory calls, happy hours - you name it. When you work for a global company, writing, speaking, meeting, and collaborating virtually is part of day-to-day operations, so there are many advantages to having effective virtual communication which can be built on during your college career. There will definitely be an adjustment period for many who transition back into the office, but companies are helping to do that by slowly inviting back their employees to get used to coming in and go through an adjustment period. The majority of employees who have been working remotely since March 2020 are beginning to transition back into the office – so it’s definitely a change for them as it will be for virtual college graduates. As internships are now occurring in person for many companies, interns will be able to get the full in-person experience (while also socially distancing and wearing a mask of course). Whether or not an internship or a job is virtual or in-person, the skillsets acquired from taking courses online and virtually communicating for team projects, lectures, and other events will set the virtual college graduate up for success.