Dear Comrade,
Congratulations are in order for coming to the end of a journey; at least 16 years! It seems like the other day, when you joined campus! I am told you left no stone unturned; in fact, you threw some. All the same, I hope you had fun.
I would like to celebrate with you some more, but this missive carries separate intent. See, I was in your shoes not long past, and I know where it hurts. The icon, Nelson Mandela, said that after climbing a great hill, one realizes that there are many more hills to climb. My purpose is to help you set off on this new journey.
Wake up, smell the coffee!
Starting on a candid note, get it from me that it’s a jungle out here. The jobs that you have been studying for come scarce. The salary expectations you’ve always had are rarely realistic. The freedom you’ve enjoyed along your campus hallways will soon be curtailed. The tap of resources you’ve had from your sponsors will run dry. Wake up and smell the coffee!!!
You are coming into a world where the unemployment statistics keep soaring. Thousands who graduated before you are yet to be absorbed into the system. Three years experience is often required for a graduate; a paradox! I don’t mean to be a skeptic, but soon, you might start hanging out around Jeevanjee or Hilton.
Navigating Uncertainty
It would not make sense to sign off at this point. You are stepping into an uncertain world. Let me help you through it; and anyway, isn’t this what comrades are for? The formula is simple; know what you want to do, know where you stand currently, and work out a plan to bridge the two.
Have you thought deeply before about what you want to do? You don’t cover much distance if you don’t have aim and purpose. Worse still, you might jump onto a bandwagon, only to realize years on that you are moving in the wrong direction, and the distance on the journey back to the centre does not match the time and effort.
Draw a picture of yourself, five to ten years to come. What kind of experience would you wish to have attained by then? What sort of person occupies the role you foresee in that future? What do you need to work on to get to that person? Don’t be caught off guard, sometime soon you will be asked to express your dreams and aspirations. It won’t do you justice pausing or fumbling for a whole minute. Summarise all these in three minutes, you’ll thank me later.
All about the extra
‘Where do you stand currently?’ that is the next question. Knowing you well, you are smart; good grades throughout. If I remember correctly, that is what got you to campus in the first place. Soon, you will find out that all your colleagues, current and before, share similar brains. Your academic performance so far simply gives you a platform. What differentiates you from the other performers is the extra.
A good start would be your soft skills. Are you articulate in your communications? Do you have good presentation skills? How is your grooming? Now would be a good time to buy a suit; a professional one.
Create good networks; friends who will tell you about open offers and how to go about them. There will be disappointments along the way, so it pays to be resilient and passionate. Horn your interviewing skills, always research beforehand about your interviewer’s company, and never arrive late for an appointment.
Signing off
It seems we have a lot to talk about, yet I have to sign off at this point. To you, as you embark on this journey, I say 'bon voyage'.