3 Things to Know About Your First Job After College

In today’s shaky economy, there are many valid reasons for college graduates to feel nervous about securing work. Though there are certain economic difficulties that are specific to young adults today, the need for foundation and reputation have always hoops to jump through. 

With the understanding that others before you have (kind of) been in your shoes and succeeded, here are three things to know about your first job after college and why you shouldn’t give up when it sucks. 

1. You Need to Develop Perseverance 

What can you do with all these factors stacked against you? You just keep going. The biggest thing to know about your first job after college is that it probably won’t be the dream job that you really want. You might get lucky and achieve a career in the general realm of your degree, or you could resort to flipping burgers. 

3 Things to Know About Your First Job After College

The good news is that you can make money online by promoting your knowledge and skills on your own. If you do get a side hustle going, just don’t forget to fill out a W-9 form if necessary. 

2. Finding Work Will Be Difficult

So, you’ve completed all your schooling, taken numerous internships, and studied your heart out during finals. Now you feel ready for the real world. While you may be entirely qualified for your dream position, the job market is scarce in many regions of the country (and the rest of the world). 

To make matters even worse, seasoned employers and staff are not usually too keen on hiring college grads with minimal work experience. Yes, you can’t gain experience until someone takes a chance on you, but not every company is willing to take that chance. Therefore, you have to be patient and develop perseverance. 

3. Technology Is Your Friend

While today’s young workforce might face more rejection for conventional jobs than their seniors, they do have the upper hand in that the internet holds enormous potential for finding job opportunities. 

There is promise in niche marketing for skilled workers, and there are endless ways to connect on social media. Whether you secure a position based on what you learned in school, or based on personal hobbies and talents, you’re building financial security. When you’re first starting out on your own, this is all that really matters. Be patient and opportunities will come. 

You can even advertise for your services if you have a particular skill to offer a business. There are no limits to where your college degree can take you if you think strategically about marketing online. 

4. Live to Work So You Can Work to Live 

While you’re doing your time working at a job you don’t love and saving money, you should also be working on collecting resources that showcase your skills for the position you want. 

This could look like different things for different people. Maybe you need to create a portfolio of your work and create a website. Or, perhaps you need to make your LinkedIn profile more active. Take necessary steps to get yourself seen in the right light so that potential employers start to take you seriously. 

The Bottom Line

The job market is tough. College grads have to earn their keep—arguably a little bit more aggressively than previous generations had to. In some ways, that stinks. However, today’s workforce has the internet, which provides endless ways to connect with people from all around the world. 

With online opportunities, you’re completely capable of finding work. There is a spot for every college grad out there if you just keep pushing forward.