Ready for the Real World

Throughout middle school “they” tell us, “You need to get ready for high school.” In high school, we’re constantly reminded that we need to prepare for college. Along the way, all this talk of preparing for the next stage seems to convey an unspoken promise that when we finally make it through college, we will magically be ready for “the real world” of employment and adulthood. 

Last week, I described the disappointment (and panic!) I faced when I got to the end of college and realized that there would be no skywriting at graduation telling me what to do next. I’ve since met many, many college grads who, degree in hand, feel a little cheated that they’re going to have to figure out the next step on their own. 

I recently had a conversation with a 20-something who, six months into his first professional position, figured the fact that he only liked about half of what he was doing meant that he should look for something else. 

I’ve been writing about making the leap from college to your first professional job. About things that surprised me and others I know. Stuff like … sometimes getting that first job is more about paying the bills than anything else. And if you find yourself in a position you don’t really like, you might be right where God wants you. 

I used to have a bad case of analysis paralysis. The bigger the decision, the more I’d overthink it. And the more I thought about it, the less I could make up my mind and act. 

It’s one of those cliches that’s cliche for a good reason: In the workplace, it’s not what you know, it’s who you know. I’d go so far as to say that the workplace relationships I’ve built have had more bearing on my career than any other single factor.