6 Career Tips for New Grads Joining the Real World.

Students are graduating, and many are entering the full-time workforce for the first time. Many of us have been there. After four or more years of challenging coursework, we thought school had taught us everything about accounting, computer science, economics, or whatever. Guess what? Our new bosses and co-workers told us we knew nothing.

So, after watching a recording of Jerry Seinfeld’s commencement speech at Duke, and thinking about the lessons I learned when starting at the bottom in two different careers, I asked a few friends to offer their suggestions for new graduates. Here are just a few ideas based on these conversations and my experience:

1. Find work you can do,
2. Learn from more experienced co-workers,
3. Take advantage of learning opportunities,
4. Follow the rules,
5. Save money, and
6. Have fun!

Some of the advice we acquired from our informal and unscientific survey, and our recollections may be surprising. Other suggestions will, we hope, seem to be common sense.

Find work you can do.

We’ve all had teachers, career advisors, and others tell us to “find our passion.” Jerry Seinfeld, in his Duke speech, said “find something you can do.” Employers and co-workers, he commented in his colorful way, are not necessarily interested in your passion. They want to know that you can do the job.

Recruiters, I’ve been told, search for candidates with college degrees, but may not be concerned about their college major. Yesterday, I came across a LinkedIn profile posted by a member with years of engineering experience and a degree in cell biology. Another engineer we have worked with has a law degree.

A former co-worker texted me, in response to my query about career tips, “don’t let perfect be the enemy of the good.” Do not hold out for the perfect first job. Get a good job. But, as Seinfeld suggested, get a job you can do. Then get something else if you don’t like it.

An exercise coaches frequently recommend is to develop a target company list, and then network your way into a job in one of those organizations. A strategy to consider, then, is to search for a job you can do within one of your target companies.

You may not land the “perfect job” right away. But you can get a “good” job, or a “job you can do,” and use it as a stepping stone.

Learn from more experienced co-workers.

Some of us felt we “knew everything” when we graduated from a competitive college or professional school program. Perhaps we learned the hard way that we didn’t know anything despite our education. My former co-worker reminded me that he sought a cubicle in the back of our office (we called it the cemetery) near the more experienced audit staff so he could learn from us. “Whether you are on day 1 or day 700, respect more experienced co-workers,” he advised.

We’re not implying that your education is worthless. You may bring new techniques and research to the table, but your co-workers have seen the issue facing you before and may have a time-honored solution.

Take advantage of learning opportunities.

You will advance by learning and trying new things. For example, a journalist I spoke with said “volunteer for tasks even if you are not overly enthusiastic about them, and do them competently.”

Broaden your experience and expertise for a competitive advantage. Steven Schutz, a Ph.D. biologist with years of public sector experience told me “take any opportunity you can get to learn a new skill, technique or technology even if it’s not your main area of interest. You never know when such experience will give you an edge over your competitors.”

Perhaps it’s a good idea to amend the proverb “never volunteer” to “always volunteer.” Make certain, though, that you know how to do the work, or that you can learn it quickly.

Follow the rules.

Learn and then follow your office’s formal and informal rules. The former co-worker I spoke with reminds his “newbies” about restrictions on discussing company business on their personal devices. Of course, there are also restrictions on personal use of office devices.

A good way to learn the rules and culture of your organization is by working in the office. While many of us would prefer remote work, it’s harder to absorb the company culture and interact with co-workers. It’s important, my friend believes, for new staff to work in the office where they will learn face-to-face from others.

Save money.

Many people I have worked with don’t save money. Someone I worked with at my first job, now in a senior private-sector position, said new employees should “save money from day one, even if it means living at home for a time.”  He believes it is important for those starting out to begin pension contributions from day one.

As a career management coach, I like to believe that everyone will be successful, and become “overpaid” later in life. We live in an uncertain job market, though, so get good advice and save money now.

Have fun!

You may feel, after reading this, that leaving school for work is not fun. A career coach I worked with at two different organizations told me once that “you should enjoy 80% of what you do.” This is probably about right. Administrative tasks, such as submitting time sheets, expense reports, and other routine tasks are rarely interesting, but the core of your job—serving clients, doing research, etc.—should interest and challenge you. It may be time to take the next step from a good job toward a “perfect” job if much of what you do is not fun anymore

Add that new degree to your LinkedIn profile and join the real world today!