Workplace Challenges
Real-world advice for gradsYou've been a student for as long as you can remember. Now, as a college or university grad, you're officially an adult. Goodbye caffeinated all-nighters, frat parties and nail-biting exams, and hello job interviews, renting an apartment and paying your own bills. Nervous? You're not alone. |
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 [ 2007-08-22 ] |
"I think people like to share their wisdom," says editor Andrea Syrtash of the anecdotes she compiled in her book. (Photo by Alana Marcu)
In the book How to Survive the Real World: Life After College Graduation, by Hundreds of Heads publishers, nearly 800 graduates share their hard-won insights into the often difficult and emotional transition from school to work.
"I think people like to share their wisdom," says editor Andrea Syrtash of the anecdotes she compiled. "I think it's comforting for readers to know their peers are giving advice ... A lot of that advice is contradictory, but that's because people have different perspectives."
In the chapter about travelling and settling, for example, some graduates extol the virtues of exploring the world, while others returned home and still others chose to live in the city of their dreams.
Syrtash, a certified life coach, travelled across North America -- with stops in Toronto, Montreal and Vancouver -- collecting stories from college and university graduates. She knows first hand the challenges that come with graduation.
The Toronto native studied history and theatre at Queen's University in Kingston and Middle Eastern studies at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem. After completing a postgraduate degree in broadcast journalism at Ryerson Polytechnic University in Toronto, she moved to California.
Though she worked in jobs unrelated to her studies for about six years, Syrtash credits the friendships and contacts she made for where she is today. "I used to tell people, 'I want to be a writer.' Then I just started declaring that I was a writer ... The good thing about being a writer is that you don't need a job to write. I kept writing all the time and tried not to stress myself out about finding my dream job."
Her life changed when she replaced the word "should" with "want."
"Knowing what you want gives you a clearer picture of how to set goals," says the New York resident.
Her experiences opened the door when she met the publisher of the How to Survive series of books. "The publisher knew I saw my 20s as a time of exploration," she says. "In my voice as an editor, I give my opinion."
The book includes tips on landing your first job, such as finding out as much as you can about the field you're interested in and using the job interview to find out if a company's environment is right for you. Grads share the benefits of networking and their willingness to learn the business from the ground up through entry-level jobs.
Once you've landed that first job, you'll appreciate the chapter that lists the dos and don'ts in the workforce. Tips include doing your best at any assigned task -- no matter how small, doing more than is asked of you and maintaining a good attitude. The book also offers health and relationship advice and basic survival skills on everything from etiquette and cooking, to buying a car.
The book is particularly helpful for those overwhelmed by the road ahead, Syrtash believes. "Hopefully, it gives the reader food for thought and will help them learn something about themselves."
FOOD FOR THOUGHT ON FIRST JOBS
In How to Survive Your First Job (or Any Job), also published by Hundreds of Heads, gainfully-employed young people share their experiences in launching their careers. They offer real-world tips and advice on looking for and landing a first job, doing well at work and simply hanging in there. Their stories cover everything from dealing with difficult bosses, weird coworkers, and less-than-ideal environments and tasks, to and climbing up (or slipping down) the corporate ladder.
Do you have you a bad boss?