Congratulations! You graduated college. All those years of all-nighters are finally behind you. Now it’s time for you to enter the real world and believe it or not college is the easy part, adulthood is the real challenge.
The transition from college to adulthood can be challenging. You go from living in dorms and attending class to searching for jobs, finding a place to live, and managing your finances.
Unfortunately, the real world doesn’t come with a rulebook and there are a lot of things you have to figure out on your own. To help prepare you for adulthood here are 11 things every graduate should immediately do after college.
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Here are 11 things every graduate should do after college:
- Give Your Resume A Complete Makeover
That’s it, you’re done with college!!! So now it’s time to update your resume. You can finally remove your high school education from your resume and list your degree.
You’re a professional now so your old high school resume won’t cut it anymore. It’s time to show your future employer who you are and what you can do and the best way to do that is by putting it in your resume.
Quick Resume Tips
- Keep your resume up to date
- Keep your resume short and to the point (1-2 pages)
- Tailor your resume to the job you’re applying for.
- Make sure your resume is easy to read
- Include an objective or a professional summary
- List special skills & qualifications that may set you apart
- Remove irrelevant work experience like the very first job you had at 16
- Include relevant coursework, certificates, and training
2. Create A Cover Letter
If you don’t know what a cover letter is, it’s an introduction letter that gives an overview of your experience, and qualifications and showcases your interest in the position you’re applying for.
Some jobs ask for a cover letter when you’re applying for the job and some jobs don’t. It all depends on the company.
It’s important to make sure that you’re not using the same cover letter for each job application. You should be customizing it to the positions you are applying for. I have a cover letter template that I use and I change certain parts of it when applying for jobs.
3. Create or Update Your Linkedin Account
You need a Linkedin account!
Linkedin is social media for professionals. Having an account is similar to having an online resume with the ability to follow companies and join groups.
Having a Linkedin account can help you connect with other professionals and open doors to opportunities that you may not be aware of. A lot of recruiters and hiring managers use Linkedin. They can view your profile and reach out to you if they’re interested.
It’s also a job board! You can directly supply jobs using Linkedin. How awesome is that? If that doesn’t convince you then there’s also a learning section where you can take courses to learn new skills that may help you in your job search.
- Clean up your social media accounts
You need to do this asap!
Go through your photos and remove all inappropriate images that may affect your potential employment. I’ve heard so many stories about people losing their jobs because of their social media accounts. Don’t let that happen to you.
If you don’t want to delete your photos then you can either change your privacy settings so that your pictures/information is not public or not use your full name on your accounts.
- Create a budget
It’s time to become financially responsible
To do that you need to start managing your money by creating a budget. A budget is a spending plan that tracks your income and expenses over a period of time, usually monthly.
Having a budget can help you spend your money more wisely and achieve your financial goals so that you’ll be on the path to financial freedom.
- Start Saving And Investing
Along with having a budget, saving and investing can also help you become financially stable.
It’s important to start saving money in case of financial emergencies, unexpected expenses, or paying for large purchases. I know my savings account came in handy when I was unemployed for a long period of time.
Investing can help grow your money but always remember that investing is a risk and there is a chance that you can lose your money. I didn’t start investing until I had a certain amount of money in my savings account. Always remember to do what’s best for you and make smart decisions.
- Build Your Credit
You should start building your credit early because having a good credit history is important when you want to take buy a house, rent an apartment, finance a car or take out a loan
A good credit score shows that you have good financial habits and manage your debt well. Whereas a bad credit score will show you as an irresponsible person which can cause you to be denied credit cards or large purchases.
You can build your credit by paying your bills on time, using less than 30% of your card limit, using a secured card, paying off collections, and not applying for a lot of credit cards and loans.
Be smart with your credit cards and apply for the ones that offer rewards.
- Manage Your Student Loan Debt
Did you know that your student loan debt is a part of your credit report? And your credit score will be impacted if you are not making payments.
Luckily new graduates get a 6 month grace period before they have to start making payments. Developing a plan to manage your student loans is important for financial stability.
Before you start paying back your loans you should definitely consider all of your options such as potential loan forgiveness, payment deferrals, and the different repayment plans.
- Professional Wardrobe
If you haven’t already it is time to build your professional wardrobe because unfortunately, you cannot wear jeans and graphic t-shirts to interviews or work.
You don’t have to buy designer suits to look nice and professional, there are plenty of affordable options. Some of my favorite stores that have affordable professional clothing items are Zara, Express, and H&M.
My suggestion is to start by getting the basic staple pieces at first (a few solid color pants, shirts, and blazers) and then style it up with some accessories.
Review your company’s dress code and dress accordingly to your style and figure shape. I know beauty is pain but you should wear comfortable clothes to work in.
- Short Term and Long Term Goals
What do you hope to accomplish in the next 6 months? How about in the next year? or 5 years?
Goals are great to have because it gives you focus, gives your life direction and helps determine what you want in life and how you want your future to be.
Write down your goals, whether they are big or small because writing them down and seeing them in black and white will motivate you to take action and accomplish them.
11. Learn how to network
For introverts like me, I am so sorry but you need to learn how to network.
Networking is essential in the professional world. For instance, your chances of landing a job will increase if you have a referral by a current employee or if you want a career change your professional connections, who are in the industry you want to join, can you give you some advice and provide leads for jobs.
This post was all about 11 things every graduate should immediately do after college