Thread: Transition from college to the real world

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I'll summarize what will happen to you personally Shiz....

You'll leave college full of hope and wonder. Dreaming of big bucks and fast women clammering about you, in your high powered business suit and ferarri.
But soon this dream will fade like Dolly Parton's pubic hair, you will not get that position, to start with missing out only just, but later wider and wider of the mark. You'll lose a bit of expectation, but moral will still be high.

Soon, you'll find that Walmart is your only option, but only if you start at the very bottom. You'll stick it out thinking you'll get something better, after all it's just a " temporary" job. You'll get something better, a smart college grad. But as the seasons pass like incontinent old timers, your hope fades........and fades.......and fades......

Now your depressed. When Carlos offers you 'something to pick you up', you say, "sure, how can it hurt"? Before you know it you decend into a never ending cycle of crystal meth and smack bombs. You rob, sleep rough, turn tricks for cash. Eventually getting a sex change to please the punters more, you meet Min0, it shows you the ropes.

Yup, that about sums it up. Good luck.

It's nothing, I couldn't wait to get out on my own, I moved out the day of High School Graduation and lived in an apartment with a friend for a couple month's before I had to go into the Navy. Once I got to Hawaii I would stay in hotel rooms and keep my stuff in my locker under my bed on the ship until I went in on an apartment with another friend...........

Originally Posted by shiznit2169

I will be graduating soon with a Bachelor's Degree in Business Management and Finance and i can't help but admit that i am a little scared in moving on to the next chapter in my life. Before i do that, I have to finish a 10-week internship this summer that is required for my major in order to complete my successful 4-year tenure at college. Once the summer is over, i am on my own.

After that, i have to find a full-time job and as much as my parents welcome me to stay home as long as i want to pay off bills and search around for a place to live, i am eager to begin a new life on my own. Although i am excited, i am also a nervous wreck because i will have a whole boatload of responsibilities and i am just learning the process of what every typical young adult goes throw dealing with mortgages, bills, insurance, credit cards, family and so forth.

My question is particularly aimed for those of you who recently undergone this transition as well as you old timers who have been there. I am just wondering if you could provide advice, input, suggestions, etc. for what i should expect as i move forward. I have never been fully exposed to the hardships and struggles dealing with the real world since i always had my parents to look back on for help but that will be ending soon.

Life sure goes by fast and i never would've expected that i will truly miss my teenage years. I just hope that i will find a decent job that i will enjoy doing everyday and be as successful as i can be. I would hate to see myself in a position where i am barely getting by and working lots of overtime and never seeing an opportunity at the end of the road with the way today's economy is going.

So, how about it folks? I'd appreciate anything from you (good or bad) that will at least be helpful and useful for me when i start my career.

i hear you dude. i graduate in april and recieved my first full time offer letter about 8 min ago. holy shit dude. sometimes life if fucked up

Originally Posted by shiznit2169

I will be graduating soon with a Bachelor's Degree in Business Management and Finance and i can't help but admit that i am a little scared in moving on to the next chapter in my life. Before i do that, I have to finish a 10-week internship this summer that is required for my major in order to complete my successful 4-year tenure at college. Once the summer is over, i am on my own.

After that, i have to find a full-time job and as much as my parents welcome me to stay home as long as i want to pay off bills and search around for a place to live, i am eager to begin a new life on my own. Although i am excited, i am also a nervous wreck because i will have a whole boatload of responsibilities and i am just learning the process of what every typical young adult goes throw dealing with mortgages, bills, insurance, credit cards, family and so forth.

My question is particularly aimed for those of you who recently undergone this transition as well as you old timers who have been there. I am just wondering if you could provide advice, input, suggestions, etc. for what i should expect as i move forward. I have never been fully exposed to the hardships and struggles dealing with the real world since i always had my parents to look back on for help but that will be ending soon.

Life sure goes by fast and i never would've expected that i will truly miss my teenage years. I just hope that i will find a decent job that i will enjoy doing everyday and be as successful as i can be. I would hate to see myself in a position where i am barely getting by and working lots of overtime and never seeing an opportunity at the end of the road with the way today's economy is going.

So, how about it folks? I'd appreciate anything from you (good or bad) that will at least be helpful and useful for me when i start my career.

I'm in the same boat, but to be honest getting a job is the last thing on my mind (though it is important!). I have plenty of time to find a job and so do you. Bills and finances are just a matter of common sense. I would definitely start saving as early as possible and investing in mutual funds or more preferably, ETFs - time to learn about all of that if you haven't.

Personally the most prevalent thing on my mind is the fact that in 3 months, I likely won't see a lot of the people I know again. That's why even though it's springtime and I should be completing a cut, I decided to just screw having a "perfect" diet for now and just go with it - I'll have plenty of time to cut again for next year, but these last three months of college I will never get back.

Get a job, do your job well, remain ambitious and succeed. You won't get your dream job right out of college, just try not to get something that is BS (make sure you can talk about this job later down the line when looking for something else). And always think about where you want to go and how you are going to get there.

One of the biggest worries I had when nearing graduation was how was how different dating was going to be and whether or not I will be able to make friends when I moved off into the real world. Dating is the same.. if anything, I've found that it is easier in ways. You will make friends from work, going out with them and meeting their friends.

When I first started working, I felt rich. I was spending money a lot more lavishly than I had before, eating out far more frequently, hitting up bars and clubs and dropping $50+/night, and just going out more often in general. But getting this new corporate job, I found that I had to buy new clothes, new shoes, etc. Then I have to pay for insurance now that I'm not on my dad's. And the government takes more taxes away. You don't have as much as you think. Now I've got to revert back to spending smart. This is one of the things that I've noticed happens to most college grads.

Another thing I have found is that I value weekends far more, now that I am working so damn much. One of the shittiest things about entry level salary work is that you are often expected to stay beyond the standard 8 hours a day. I got home after 7pm tonight and I live about 10 minutes from the office. I started the workday at 8am. I don't think I have left at 5pm since the second week of work. However, I am doing this is because I see this as a huge opportunity. I am learning faster, developing relationships with my co-workers, and making things easier for myself down the line when I take over these accounts in the next two months.

Point is, everyone gets busier when they graduate, so the weekends are more valuable. Don't waste them. I'm planning on doing a lot of travelling with my closest buddies.

That reminds me.. when interviewing for a job, don't be afraid to negotiate. Interviews are not just for you to try get an employer to like you, but for you to get an idea whether or not you like this employer... these recruiters are trying to sell you on the job, afterall. A lot of times entry level positions do not you leave you much room to bargin, but other times, they do. Make sure you have several offers and aren't just banking on one. Then you can compare each offer side by side, not just monetary value, but also liklihood of advancement, travel, the things you want to do, and of course, benefits such as vacation time, flexible spending, company discounts, sick days, medical. I bargained $2k more ontop of the original offer, and have two weeks vacation, five sick days, all effective immediately (often times they have you wait 90 days). Most people in my company started off with only one week vacation and two sick days. Employers will like seeing that you are making an informed decision by negotiating, instead of just rushing into things. They will think you will bring the same mindset to your work.

Don't get overwhelmed by the last few months of school.

Move to a large city, get a job, and live within walking distance from work.

Go to grad school.

Originally Posted by captaincaberman

Move to a large city... live within walking distance from work.

Look to spend a fortune if you want to be able to do this.

Originally Posted by MWpro

Go to grad school.

I played with the idea of going to grad school right after getting my B.A.. Personally, it wasn't for me, but I think it may be something I will go back to in the next five years. A lot of employers like to see a few years of work experience before grad school, and so do most grad schools. It would make grad school more meaningful, as well as leave you less clueless when entering the real world after getting your masters.

Kentdog

Thanks for the reply. All those things you mentioned are the main things i am worried about but i do believe i will be ok.

MWPro

I am thinking about grad school. I am not sure if i want to work part-time while attending grad school or work full-time, get some experience under my belt and then go to grad school later on like kendog said. We'll see.

Just curious kentdog, what do you do for work?

Originally Posted by danzik17

I'm in the same boat, but to be honest getting a job is the last thing on my mind (though it is important!). I have plenty of time to find a job and so do you. Bills and finances are just a matter of common sense. I would definitely start saving as early as possible and investing in mutual funds or more preferably, ETFs - time to learn about all of that if you haven't.

Personally the most prevalent thing on my mind is the fact that in 3 months, I likely won't see a lot of the people I know again. That's why even though it's springtime and I should be completing a cut, I decided to just screw having a "perfect" diet for now and just go with it - I'll have plenty of time to cut again for next year, but these last three months of college I will never get back.

Same here. That and the whole dating scene will be different like kentdog mentioned. Funny how as a freshman, i wanted to get college over with because i'm sick of school and now that i am almost done, i wish i could do it all over again.

I graduated in December. I already had a good paying job when I graduated, not great, but good enough. I have spent the last 2 months increasing my abilities in my field of study which I didn't get to cover in college thanks to Danzik for the CBT Nuggets program.

Once I have all of the certifications that I will need to really go after the job market, I will pursue more seriously. I have been offered some really good paying jobs, but I didn't like the area they were in. My perspective is that employers are looking for me not the other way around, and that they would be extremely lucky to get me.

One of my best friends is a recent civil engineering graduate who taught me that philosophy. That is the best piece of adive I can give.

Originally Posted by shiznit2169

My question is particularly aimed for those of you who recently undergone this transition as well as you old timers who have been there. I am just wondering if you could provide advice, input, suggestions, etc. for what i should expect as i move forward. I have never been fully exposed to the hardships and struggles dealing with the real world since i always had my parents to look back on for help but that will be ending soon.

Life sure goes by fast....

I think what you do is not important, shiz.

But doing what you want to be doing is important.

In all aspects of life.

I know it seems like a huge daunting step at the moment, but the truth is, it's like everything else you worry about - it's actually quite easy, and you wonder why it fazed you.

You should'nt have much problem finding a decent starting position with that degree of yours. Just remember to choose something that is right for you, as your going to spend the vast majority of your time at work. You don't want to hate your job if that's the case. Don't jump at the first offer, sit and think about it - as Kent said.

I still haven't made the transition, and I've been out of college for twenty years.

Originally Posted by DaMayor

I still haven't made the transition, and I've been out of college for twenty years.

You too, huh?

I tried "growin' up once. But it wasn't any fun."

So, here I am. Loving life, and enjoying each and every day.

Do not go to grad school unless you are 100% certain it will add value to you as an employee, and increase your salary.

Trying to find a job sucks. Thats all I can say. There used to be a time when a college degree guaranteed you a good job. That is no more; everyone in their brother has a college degree. A graduate degree isn't even guaranteed to make you stand out anymore.

Originally Posted by clemson357

Do not go to grad school unless you are 100% certain it will add value to you as an employee, and increase your salary.

Trying to find a job sucks. Thats all I can say. There used to be a time when a college degree guaranteed you a good job. That is no more; everyone in their brother has a college degree. A graduate degree isn't even guaranteed to make you stand out anymore.

Yeah, every job I tried for wanted experience, even entry level shit jobs wanted at least a year of experience. I kept asking myself how anyone is supposed to get experience if they can't even get into an entry level position. So I went and got my excise tax license for the state and hired myself out as a freelance computer tech, one of my college instructors luckily picked me up and had me help him do a complete system for one of the golf resorts here on the Island. We hired one of the well known local tech companies to install the server for us and the owner of the company came out to do it and hit a snag with one of the NIC cards. I fixed it and impressed him, but when I showed up at his company he said he didn't have any positions and a week later one of my ex-classmates got a job there......Maybe he knew someone there better than me........who you know really does help I've learned...

Originally Posted by clemson357

Do not go to grad school unless you are 100% certain it will add value to you as an employee, and increase your salary.

Trying to find a job sucks. Thats all I can say. There used to be a time when a college degree guaranteed you a good job. That is no more; everyone in their brother has a college degree. A graduate degree isn't even guaranteed to make you stand out anymore.

I agree clemson.

Bachelor's degrees have been devalued in the last couple of decades, as far as employment goes.

Right now, the economy seems to be slowing and hiring may be slowing.

I agree with you on Grad school. I think it's very good for many, to get experience and see what they like, and don't like, and then pursue a Master's if they want to.

A lot of people realize they don't like what they thought they would like, and go into a new field.

Also, this is a new mantra in the US. Get a Master's. "you make more." "You can compete better."

True for many, but not all fields. It's a money maker. That's why there are so many programs like "phoenix" and "City University."

I don't know what your goals or likes are Shiz.

Do you want to travel a little before getting ensconced in the work world?

There are ways to do it.

Originally Posted by clemson357

Do not go to grad school unless you are 100% certain it will add value to you as an employee, and increase your salary.

Trying to find a job sucks. Thats all I can say. There used to be a time when a college degree guaranteed you a good job. That is no more; everyone in their brother has a college degree. A graduate degree isn't even guaranteed to make you stand out anymore.

Ya, i pretty much already knew that but i thought of having a masters degree as a way to boost my chances of getting that dream job after having several years of experience under my belt and competing with other candidates. I would hate to be rejected only because the other candidates has a masters degree but i didn't.

Smoothy,

I definitely want to do some traveling and explore the world. I just need to focus on getting a good entry-level job first and getting lots of experience before i make more strategic goals. Like manic said, employers always look for people who have at least one to two years of experience so how can you get experience if entry-level jobs aren't even willing to hire you. It doesn't make sense.

I guess i'll just have to go with the flow and hopefully establish enough connections through networking and pray for a golden opportunity to come up some time down the road.

Originally Posted by shiznit2169

Kentdog

Thanks for the reply. All those things you mentioned are the main things i am worried about but i do believe i will be ok.

MWPro

I am thinking about grad school. I am not sure if i want to work part-time while attending grad school or work full-time, get some experience under my belt and then go to grad school later on like kendog said. We'll see.

Just curious kentdog, what do you do for work?

Go to grad school assuming you can get into a top school...top tier Bizschools typically have starting salaries at minimum of 85k. I have quite a few class mates who landed six figure offers 1 year before graduation. However, don't settle for a graduate degree from a state school unless your employer will foot the bill. Its all about networking and top biz schools are very good at providing you with the opportunity to meet people...people who matter.

I quit my job as a field service engineer (B.S. in International Business and ended up in engineering) working at fortune 50s for a subcontractor to attend Thunderbird...so far its been worth it
Rankings - Thunderbird
QS TopMBA: 5.1 International Management



my 2 cents

BTW, if you like foreign travels, you can always teach English overseas.

Originally Posted by shiznit2169

Smoothy,

I definitely want to do some traveling and explore the world. I just need to focus on getting a good entry-level job first and getting lots of experience before i make more strategic goals. Like manic said, employers always look for people who have at least one to two years of experience so how can you get experience if entry-level jobs aren't even willing to hire you. It doesn't make sense.

I guess i'll just have to go with the flow and hopefully establish enough connections through networking and pray for a golden opportunity to come up some time down the road.

What field/positions are you interested in, if I may ask?

Where (location) do you want to work? Are you willing to move to another city?


(Just curious. I'm not trying to pry, by I'm curious on your strategy. I am working on mine at the moment.)

Originally Posted by lnvanry

BTW, if you like foreign travels, you can always teach English overseas.

There is very high demand for this all over the world, and often times, it pays very well. However, if you are looking at career-advancement as a goal.. unless you are pursuing a teaching career, I would say try to look at other options. However, if you want to just travel right out of college before starting your career, it is not a bad choice. It'll give you exposure to a new culture and may very well change your life. I would have liked to have travelled abroad for a summer internship or perhaps a semester of college if I could go back and do it all over again.

Originally Posted by shiznit2169

Smoothy,

I definitely want to do some traveling and explore the world. I just need to focus on getting a good entry-level job first and getting lots of experience before i make more strategic goals. Like manic said, employers always look for people who have at least one to two years of experience so how can you get experience if entry-level jobs aren't even willing to hire you. It doesn't make sense.

I guess i'll just have to go with the flow and hopefully establish enough connections through networking and pray for a golden opportunity to come up some time down the road.

Well as long as you are listening to me, might I suggest going to the Andes and seeking out a shaman who can administer a soul seeking potion by which you can search for answers to what you really want out of your education....

http://www.tranceamericana.org/brain.../flashback.swf

sorry, but your Bachelor's won't do much, get an MBA now, don't wait, stay in school you can finish an MBA in 2 years.

that is my best advice, if I could do it over again that is what I would have done, it' very difficult to go back to school IMO.

I'm scared shitless of the real world because it seems you can never do enough in school to prepare for it. At least for myself it seems you need thousands of hours of research, internships every summer, and an amazing gpa just to get a decent job.