From Graduation to Career Success

In the town where I grew up, there is a University with a bold slogan: "The World is Our Campus." Sarcastic students often change the phrase to: "The Campus is Our World." Does college really prepare you for real life? Is the world your campus or is the campus your world?

I worked full time while going to business school and had ample opportunities to compare and contrast academic learning with the real world. In every way, I am light years ahead of where I would be without a college education.

But school is not real life. Business schools cannot guarantee success in the workplace, just as English Literature degrees cannot guarantee publication. (It's the same question every business student asks professors of subjects like Investment Strategy: "If you're so good at this, why are you teaching instead of living in the Bahamas with a private dolphin zoo?") Schools can only provide tools, techniques and knowledge. It is up to each student to learn how to apply those tools to the problems they will face in the real world. The unbeatable combination of academic learning and real-world intuition will in most cases lead to greater success than academic learning or experience alone.

For the recent graduate embarking on a new career, here are some things you will encounter in the real world that your professors may not have fully prepared you for.

1) POLITICS. No, I'm not referring to Republicans vs. Democrats, although some organizations do have conflicts that run just as deep. I'm referring to the politics of getting things done in an organization. No matter how process-oriented your new company is, you will be ineffective at your job unless you take the time to establish relationships with everyone you work with. When politics are in your favor, life is sweet -- people will understand if you make a mistake and they will give you opportunities to grow. When things are against you (and sometimes all it takes is offending the wrong person), you may feel like calling your old professor in the Bahamas and taking that dolphin-poop scooping job. Sometimes, such as during a company merger, you have very little influence with decision-makers. But you can always treat supervisors, peers and subordinates with trust and respect. A little time spent working on a relationship today can result in big dividends tomorrow. But don't just limit your networking to your current company. Keep track of former co-workers and meet new people in a multitude of settings. You never know when one of them will be looking for a guitar playing manicurist when you are out of work.

2) JERKS. Sure, you went to school with some jerks and maybe had a professor or two who fell into this category. But now the company president's idiot son is your boss and you can't complain to anyone. It's even worse than a professor with tenure! Your only options may be to find another job, go back to graduate school or take up residence in a sanitarium. Surviving this type of situation is sometimes necessary to feed a family, but it can be frustrating. Which leads us to ...

3) ROADBLOCKS. So your whole life you've wanted to be a dog washer for the stars. At first you were making daily contacts and your reputation for quality work was unmatched. But then you accidentally left a mud splotch on Elizabeth Taylor's chihuahua Mr. Fluffykins, and now your name is mud. Every career lives at the intersection of ability and opportunity. If either part of the equation disappears, it may be time to pack up and move on. There was a time when the question "What do you want to be when you grow up?" could be answered with a simple response, such as "A Human Lightning Rod." In today's society, that question is probably better answered with a list. After all, you'll likely change careers several times during your working life. A more relevant question when faced with a career roadblock is, "What do you want to do next?"

4) MONEY. That's right, as a student you had to pay others for the opportunity to kill yourself in pursuit of an elusive goal called "graduation." But now it's your turn to get paid! Don't worry if your friends on welfare are making more than you at first. Just hang in there and when you have a few years of experience, you'll be able to tell people how much you need to make -- and sometimes they'll actually listen! Money can have a downside too, though. Never accept a job you'll hate just because it involves higher pay. A luxurious lifestyle may be worth working towards, but it's just not as fun to drive a Rolls Royce to work when you hate every minute of every hour spent there.

The real world of work can be a great place. It has its ups and downs, but you can find a job you love and a live a balanced life. And when you do, be sure to tell me. I'm looking for the same thing.