The college degree one receives comes with two different types of baggage. The first is the fulfillment of achieving a goal. Congratulations are in order because this is the big day that you have worked hard to see converted from a dream into reality.

But, as the cheers die out and the champagne glasses are left empty, there comes the secondary affect. You are a college graduate with all the responsibilities included with each letter of the title. No longer are you striving towards a goal. Rather, now you must go out and do what college hasn't done for you; prepare to live in the real world of life.

College should have provided you the intellectual infrastructure for performing the career you chosen. But college doesn't provide for the cut-throat world beyond the safety of the campus. Everything a graduate has learned until now means nothing at all. Success in the real world comes from a certain combination of talents that must be carefully balanced.

1. Never say no, never say never. New bosses don't want attitudes from college graduates. Face facts here. You are the new person on the block and, as such, you will have to have your share of jobs that no one else in the office wants. Everyone starts at the bottom and works their way up except relatives of the owners and bosses. If you aren't in that category, prepare to exist in jobs that seem to have no sense to them. Except it as part of the "initiation" into the real world much like you did with the "initiation" into a fraternity house.

2. Your first job will not be your last. If you don't get that dream job with the company you were planning, don't panic. A college degree doesn't guarantee automatic returns on your years of studying. Some companies prefer candidates with both education and experience. So, if you have to venture into a company that was less than what you were planning for, use the opportunity to learn your trait and gather more experience. In the long run, this will pay off.

3. Someone will professionally betray you. Don't take it personal when it happens. Competing for grades in college is not the same as betraying for a better paying position in a company. Money, being the root of all evil, will drive people to be unscrupulous in their goal to get promoted. If that means stepping on you, so be it. Don't take it personal; people will betray you professionally for what you are in the organization, not for who you are personally. The sooner you learn this; the better off you will be in defending yourself against those who do this.

4. Always have a "plan B". If you never want to be caught off guard in any situation, make sure you have a plan B. Plan A will always have some potential problems and bosses appreciate people who are able to think on their feet. If Plan A falls to piece before your eyes, having an alternative path to take will impress the bosses and demonstrate your ability to adapt quickly to changing environments. Nothing will define the fine line between success and disaster than this piece of advice.

I provide this list to all the college graduates based on my own experiences as both the up and coming candidate as well as from a boss's point of view. In the end, if it assists in making the transition into the real world easier from college, I am all the more content to have been able to lend a hand. Good luck and may your career be filled with success!

Learn more about this author, Frederick A. Babb.
Click here to send this author comments or questions.

---

Add your voice

Know something about Making the transition from college to the world of work?
We want to hear your view. Write now!