Letter to the New Graduate

Congratulations on your graduation, and double congratulations if you’ve already got a job. But if not, do not despair, it’s only a matter of time.

This letter is a reminder of the module that was left out of your course at Uni. (it does not matter which one you attended). It is about what you need to learn as you enter a critical phase in life – that of career phase.

The career phase is vitally important for two reasons:

1) Everything that is going to define you in terms of your contribution to your profession, community and the world will happen to this phase.

2) It is incredibly long about 45 years if you are now 22. Because we are living longer, government everywhere are reviewing retirement age. In the UK for example, the proposed retirement age for men is 68 and for women 65.

Due to these reasons, it is critically important that you have a thorough understanding of the career phase. More than that it is essential to be adequately informed and fully prepared for it. It will be crazy of anybody to go into it without this preparation.

Some have argued that since it is a long period, maybe there is no big deal in not planning adequately from the outset because there will be enough time to correct mistakes along the journey. Hmm, that is a terrible gamble; it is always a better to get it right the first time.

The Career Planning Toolkit for Graduates was developed to equip you to hit the ground running. It will deliver essential information as well as inspire you to be fully prepared for the critical career phase you are entering.

There are other critical reasons for planning now:

1) Our career determines to a large extent what our lives will be. It can make it boring, stressful and unhappy. It can also make it lively, exciting and fulfilling. Now you are looking forward to settling into a career that will make maximum use of your talents and experiences and in return pay you handsomely. This toolkit gives you the hints and ideas about how to make it happen.

2) There is tremendous competition in the work place. Five key factors are responsible for that. One, more and more people are graduating from universities annually. For example, in the 2009/10 academic session, about 200,000 graduates passed out of UK universities. The trend is the same in every country. Two, we live in a shrinking world. E.g. the EEC is a community of 27 countries who have opened their borders for trade and economic activities among members. Graduates from one member state are free to look for and gain work in other member states. Thirdly, the internet has made it easy for people to know what is happening in other countries. Jobs advertised in one country can be easily picked up by candidates from other places. And finally, the recession of the last 4 years, led to the closure of many companies while those still managing to survive have had to downsize – further throwing more people out of work.

As a new entrey into the career phase, you need to understand and fashion tools for yourself in order to not merely survive but thrive in great competition that lie ahead. Especially if you:

• Do not already have an empire to walk straight into.

• Have to search for job vacancies.

• Complete application forms.

• Go for job interviews.

• Particularly if you are a graduate from the non professional courses/fields i.e. social sciences or liberal arts. Remember that in a world of tremendous competition, you are doubly disadvantaged if you belong here.

As it is always the case, having a strategy will do for your career more than all your technical knowledge and hard work you could put in. A good strategy will ensure that you:

Create a career plan

Build a network or support system

Become a brand

Develop your soft skills in cost effective ways.

I believe if you understand and take these steps you will reach the top faster than you ever thought possible.

I will be delighted to work with and support you in getting the job of your dreams. Now do one of three things:

1. Subscribe to my bi-monthly newsletter – for tips, news and information

2. Purchase the career enhancing “Career Planning Toolkit for Graduates”: download now for £9.99 or buy the DVD for £12.99.

3. Join my Graduate mentoring scheme:

Finally, as you are looking for work, don’t lose your enthusiasm; do not be discouraged at the crowd you see at exhibitions. And never ever listen to people who constantly tell you about the gloom in the economy.

The very best!