6 Things ALL New Grads Should Know

To end this month long theme of graduation related blog posts and information, here are 6 things ALL new graduates should know:

1. Know Your Network
So you have a network of 500 + people on your Linkedin; but how many do you make an effort to keep in touch with or catch up with professionally speaking? Make sure you know your network and everyone in it. By this I mean making meaningful connections that can open up opportunities for both parties! Even if your network is small, make the effort to maintain contact. Also, keep in touch with your graduating class and professors; these connections are great to maintain, especially if the thought of doing graduate school has ever crossed your mind!

2. Know Your Skills
Identifying the key skills you gained through your education, work, and volunteer experiences is imperative to finding work that correlates to your expertise. If your skilled at writing and have extensive experience writing blogs and articles, you can narrow down fields to work in by looking for those skills in job postings. This will help you to be on your way to utilizing what you know professionally to land the perfect entry level position! Our Degree Exploration Guides can help with identifying degree specific skills so be sure to check them out!

3. Know Your Transferable Skills
We've all had that job where we said to ourselves "What am I learning from this experience?". Often times, it's occupations in the service industry like serving coffee at your local Tim Horton's or waiting tables at Boston Pizza. However, never forget the transferable skills being gained through these types of positions. Not only are skills like teamwork and customer service being gained, but also other valuable skills like time-management and organization. So if the job of your dreams isn't available right now, never turn down other opportunities! Where there is work, there are transferable skills to be gained!


4. Know Your Goals
And when I say goals I mean both short term and long term! The job of your dreams may not be hiring right now, but that doesn't mean you should put your life on hold. If something is in the way of a long-term goal, work on your short-term goals, and vise versa. And never stop setting goals for yourself! It's truly the difference between those who find themselves stuck in a "rut" and those who progress! For some extra goal-setting tips, check out another great blog post here. 

5. Know Yourself

It's the classic scenario: you are in an interview and they ask you to "Describe yourself in 5 words" or "Tell us your biggest strength or biggest weakness". Even though we spend all day with ourselves, these questions are sometimes the most difficult to answer. This is why knowing yourself inside and out is beneficial! Write down some strengths and weaknesses or words you feel encompass your own personal brand in order to get to know yourself better. This will not only help with goal-setting and networking, but will also make interviews not only easier, but much more successful! 

6. Know Your Resources
If you need help, it's important to know where to get it. For example, as Brock Alumni, new graduates will have access to extensive career resources both in the Career Resource Centre here at Brock and on-line through Careerzone and the Online Resource Centre. From career document reviews, to workshops, to job search help and interview practice, and even graduate school information, we've got you covered on all fronts! Be sure to check out Grad LINK via Linkedin and connect with us on Facebook and Twitter too! Utilize the resources you have available to you to succeed!

Again, a big congratulations to ALL graduates! Hopefully these must-knows will help you not only get to know yourself better, but also make the transition from university to work seamless & successful!

Scarlet Stark
Career Assistant
Psychology Major