The most prominent reality of life after college is that a degree does not automatically guarantee employment. Although this has perpetuated the belief that college education has lost its worth, this interpretation is flawed. This phenomenon may suggest labor market changes, for instance, the possibility of an oversupply of labor compared to demand. Nonetheless, new graduates encounter a host of other challenges that remain overlooked. Surprisingly, graduates also face difficulty keeping their expenses under control and maintaining old friendships, among others. If you are approaching graduation or have just completed your studies, here are further realities of adulting after graduation that may take you by surprise.
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1. A Degree Does Not Automatically Secure Employment in Adulting After Graduation
A growing number of graduates are increasingly encountering the reality that the labor market has dramatically changed. Traditionally, basic higher education could assure fresh graduates of employment. However, the employment landscape has dramatically changed in recent years into a more competitive environment with increasingly demanding roles. To show the magnitude of this issue, the latest statistics reveal that a considerable number of graduates, roughly 40%, struggle to find formal jobs, forcing them to work in unskilled positions.
The oversupply of labor has worked to the advantage of employers, who have changed selection criteria to ensure they employ the best candidates for maximum returns. As a result, employers now check for other valuable skills besides college certification. Although these requirements vary with each role, employers currently also vet for a range of soft skills, including communication, teamwork, and problem-solving abilities. Thus, graduates lacking industry-relevant skills or soft skills find the competition slightly unfavorable.
Countering the challenges of struggling to find formal employment requires a proactive approach to developing useful skills for a potential job. For instance, proactively looking for projects that provide experience, pursuing internship opportunities, volunteering, or learning additional technical skills can help resolve this challenge. Furthermore, this challenge underscores the need for a perception shift concerning college education. Rather than viewing it as a destination, learners should see it as a foundation to build more skills.
2. Social Relationships Will Undergo Profound Change During Adulting After Graduation
Life after university takes a new shape, which naturally affects the survival of former relationships. University convenes people, encouraging the development of tight bonds between individuals who share common interests or interact regularly. Although it is natural to think that these connections will remain intact forever, life after graduation takes a different course, and the close connections slowly crumble with passing years. A new phase of life begins after university, with everyone transitioning to their new life commitments.
For some people, the dissolution of former relationships can be emotionally disconcerting, especially after developing strong bonds on campus. Time eventually erodes the effortlessness of campus relationships, making it burdensome to actively keep in touch. With time, sustaining old relationships will require more effort, causing some to dissolve completely.
Graduates should embrace the change that occurs with former relationships rather than force them to work. The adulting period after graduation is a time to focus on the friendships that flourish effortlessly, even if it means having fewer friends. Such friendships can provide even more meaningful connections. Nonetheless, interactions in new environments through work or community involvement will offer an opportunity to form new relations. Overall, whereas losing old friendships may seem difficult, embracing change is suitable because it may bring new and possibly enriching relationships. This is a normal part of post-grad adulting.
3. Financial Independence Presents Complex Challenges
College may look like the final hurdle in the journey of mastering a skill to fend for oneself in the coming years. As such, students look forward with anticipation to joining lucrative roles whereupon they can take control of their life. Nevertheless, their excitement is often short-lived when life presents a new financial hurdle. The anticipated independence might not be real after all because of the competing financial obligations that soon take shape. Graduates still need to pay student loans, face a high cost of living, and maybe support family members.
The financial challenges of adulting after graduation can be made worse by the pressure to splurge after more than two decades of hard work. Thus, many find themselves unable to resist the urge for high-end consumption on household items, clothes, or travel. The challenge with carefree spending is it exposes individuals to financial insecurity should things change dramatically.
Unfortunately, the public education system has not been designed to offer detailed financial advice. Furthermore, most parents and guardians neglect this issue. For those who fail to take the initiative to take financial literacy lessons, experience serves as the best teacher. Thus, post-university life presents a challenging financial landscape with numerous obstacles and increased possibility of making mistakes. Navigating this period requires financial prudence with insightful understanding of the pitfalls that can lead to serious consequences. Concerning the need for financial prudence in adulthood, the following article explores the different types of insurance and covers a broad range of options that can help with effective risk management.
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4. Entry-Level Positions May Feel Dispiriting
Graduates show a high level of enthusiasm to begin their new roles after polishing their industry-specific skills. However, the reality can contradict expectations in most cases, as graduates soon come to realize. Companies commonly assign new recruits repetitive and monotonous tasks, which are sometimes unrelated to the employee’s skills. Responsibilities may include simple technical duties, routine office work, or basic assignments that do not require deep thinking. For some, this may seem underwhelming and potentially confusing in relation to personal long-term aspirations.
In reality, organizations intentionally put graduates through this process to train them and equip them with additional competencies. In particular, these basic roles help to orient recruits to the organizational culture, refine their social skills, and teach them to confront challenges with novelty for later roles. Instead of becoming anxious, graduates should seek clarification about the purpose of this process and patiently complete these milestones.
Thus, graduates should use their initial roles to seek professional guidance, study the organizational structures, and actively improve their skills. Furthermore, the simple duties at the onset show intimate details about individuals and how they perform their functions.
5. Reevaluation of Career Goals Is Inevitable
Graduates should know ahead of time that developments that misalign with their aspirations may plant doubts. For instance, after spending time specializing in finance only to be assigned to marketing duties can seem confusing. It can seem antithetical to initially established plans expected to guide personal career plans.
The contradiction between personal ambitions and reality may make individuals question the worth of their education or consider a review of their plans. In reality, career reevaluation is more common than graduates may think. Even corporations reevaluate their decisions regularly, sometimes leading to employee reshuffles in response to developments in the business environment. Accordingly, personal reevaluation should not signal failure but should be seen as a normal growth process.
Although pivoting to other careers can offer fulfillment, proceeding cautiously by systematically analyzing alternative careers and considering the transferability of skills would be wise. Pursuing shorter courses, trying side hustles, and seeking out other positions might also be helpful. Carefully weighing options can help build the ground for an appropriate and wise decision.
6. The Demands of Adulthood Are Continuous
As fairly young adults, recent graduates will have to confront a wide range of novel demands and challenges which present unexpectedly. Furthermore, the constant evolution of the world means other challenges will be completely novel. Accordingly, knowing these challenges or how to deal with novel ones when they present is crucial. Some of the long-standing demands to expect include filing taxes, being responsible for personal safety and health, and signing leases.
Occasionally, a few issues will emerge before these demands become normal. Thus, it is fairly perfect to falter with some issues in the beginning. However, preparing for some of these demands is possible, as some are common sense. Arming oneself with financial literacy or knowledge of tenancy rights among several other proactive measures can help in navigating adulting after graduation more effectively.
7. Comparison to Others Will Be an Ongoing Challenge
Seeing others succeed earlier is the most subtle but profound challenge that college graduates encounter after a few years. Increasing interconnectedness through social media makes it difficult to assume the progress of other peers. The pressure that comes with seeing others succeed sooner can be unnerving and potentially plant doubts.
Importantly, every person is bound to achieve success with the right mix of strategy and relentless pursuit. Additionally, developing a realistic definition of success can help counteract worries, because success obviously does not imply the same thing to everyone.
Conclusion
In sum, every milestone, like graduating from college, is an important occasion worth celebrating. However, knowing the realities of life after graduation beforehand or at a convenient time is equally important. These realities of life after graduation serve as a precaution for strategic decisions that can prevent worse outcomes. Although all realities are equally important, paying more attention to financial literacy and continuous learning can prove to be especially valuable.
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