Real Life Notes: Reflections and Strategies for Life After Graduation

Real Life Notes: Reflections and Strategies for Life After Graduation, Kenneth Jedding, Double Rose Books, 2002

So you've just graduated from college or are otherwise about to enter the workforce. Now what? This book attempts to give some answers.

This book doesn't try to say that Career X will be the fastest growing in the next 10 years, or entry-level jobs in Career Y will be worth a certain salary per year. It asks questions like: What is your goal in life? A goal of "making lots of money" would seem to indicate a career in computers or the financial sector. What if you are not cut out for computers or the financial sector? Start with something about which you are passionate, and brainstorm from there. A boring job, no matter how lucrative, is not worth it.

Everyone wants to find their ideal job immediately. Life doesn't work that way; it's supposed to be a learning experience. Every job, no matter how boring, is just one step closer to that ideal position. Employers are more interested in real enthusiasm (passion) for a job or demonstrated abilities in, for instance, problem solving and logical thinking, than in a degree in a certain field.

When faced with an unsuccessful job interview, some people consider it no big deal and go on to the next one, while others get very depressed and upset with themselves. The difference is called Perspective. Try cutting a huge task into smaller pieces, and be sure to reward yourself when you accomplish those smaller tasks.

Why is it that, in a friendship, we can accept the other person, warts and all, and give without thinking about it, but in a relationship, much more attention is given to how much each person is giving or taking? Ignore the drumbeat of society which says that a person "should" be married or in a long term relationship by a certain age. Your time may come earlier or later in life. When it comes, you'll know.

If the relationship with the parents was difficult (in any sense of the term), consider forgiveness. The intention isn't so much to let them off the hook, as to let yourself off the hook. That way, you can get past whatever emotional hold they had on you, and get on with your life.

This book is a keeper. It's recommended not just for college graduates (all of whom should read it), but for people who have been out of college for awhile. It's got a lot of insight that's good for all ages. It's really worth it.