Establish Credit but Not Debt

You just graduated, you are living in a new apartment, you haven’t gotten your first paycheck and you need furniture, groceries and new work clothes. It is very easy to take that credit card and start charging. It is also very easy to accumulate credit card debt just like that. Don’t spend more than you can afford to pay off. Start small and pay it off monthly.

- Kelly Featherstone ’05

Be Patient

Don't be discouraged if your first job right out of college isn't exactly what you'd envisioned it should be. Consider every employment opportunity - whether it fits cleanly within your academic and career aspirations or not - as a chance to strengthen your skills, build your network, and learn more about yourself.

- Amanda Wilson Bergado ’04

Job or Grad School?

For some people four years of school is enough. They are ready to go out, start working and never open another Accounting book for the rest of their lives. For others, grad school is the only option. You can’t very well be a doctor without attending med school now can you? How do you decide whether grad school is for you? Obviously there is no easy answer but there are questions you need to ask yourself. Examples:

• Where would you like your career to go?  Will it require more schooling?
• Can you afford more school from a financial standpoint?
• Are you going to school because you don’t want to get a job?

If you are in fact looking to go to Graduate school, here are a few resources to help you:

              - peterson.com/
              - gradschools.com
              - princetonreview.com/grad/

- Kelly Featherstone ’05

Network Wisely

As you transition from college life to corporate world, don't overlook important associations that can contribute to your professional advancement. Stay in contact with old professors, friends, or family members who have connections with people in major corporations and organizations. These people should let you know when they are aware of opportunities that could benefit you.

- ecampustours.com

Welcome New Opportunities

The average American will go through 10 jobs and five careers during his or her lifetime, so you want to find something — and trust me, it won’t be your major — that you’ll enjoy doing 40 hours a week for four years before you chuck it all and move to Bali.

- Kelly Featherstone ’05

Keep Busy

Finding interesting things to do around your city is not as difficult as it seems - you just need to know where to look. Start on the internet and sign up for e-mail lists from institutions that interest you. Venture offline and check out the events section of free local papers often available at coffee shops and bars, or pick up local magazines with cultural listings.

- Gradspot.com's Guide to Life After College

Keep Rent Low

When you move to a new place, don't immediately go for the swanky new apartment. You just spent the last four years living in college dorms or off-campus housing, hardly Ritz-Carltons, so don't go locking yourself into high rents for the next year. If you keep your rent low, you can save more and spend more on other, more important, things (like paying off debts).

- Kelly Featherstone ’05

Stay Connected

Keep in contact with friends and colleagues from college in any way possible, including Facebook and LinkedIn. Although Facebook is not exclusively for career networking, it has over 100 million users, many who share their employment information. Search for friends who work in an industry that interests you and look for new connections.

Always Be Networking

Networking is really the fancy term for making new friends. Find opportunities to meet new people by participating in as many things as you can. Join local groups interested in what you like, attend work functions (especially if they're geared towards new employees), and actively participate in local charities or philanthropic groups. Friends give life richness, make as many as you can.

- Kelly Featherstone ’05

Keep In Touch

Keep in touch with your favorite faculty and staff, as often as possible, through whatever means you can. They can continue to serve as great resources, mentors, and even friends, whether you plan on using them as a reference in the future or not, long after your graduate.

- Amanda Wilson Bergado ’04

Continue Learning

You may have just graduated college but don't stop learning. If your new employer offers education reimbursement, use it and use it as quickly as you can. Education reimbursement is like getting a raise in your salary. And, when you've completed yet another degree, you'll be able to command more in the marketplace for your skills and knowledge. All that costs you is time and effort.

- Kelly Featherstone ’05

The One-Year Rut

No matter what stage of the post-college transition you find yourself at, it's almost inevitable to experience some degree of discontentment around the 12-month out mark. Socially, the reality of post-grad life begins to sink in as it grows harder to stay in touch with friends, and demanding work schedules making dating and hanging out more difficult than they were in college. Post-college life isn't all fun and games, but remember that it's a time of transition. Moreover, rest assured that people bounce back from the struggles of this transitional phase, often with a new sense of purpose and recalibrated goals.

- Gradspot.com's Guide to Life After College

Set It and Forget It Retirement

When you start your new job, the last thing on your mind is what you'll be doing when you retire in forty years. However, what you do now will pay big dividends in forty years so be sure to take advantage of the retirement options you have. Contribute to a 401(k) or 403(b) retirement plan if you can, especially if your employer offers to match a percentage of your contribution. Contribute to a Roth IRA to the maximum every year you can because, hopefully, eventually you will earn too much to contribute and you'll want to take advantage of tax-free growth while you can. Need proof of this: If you contribute only $100 a month and it appreciates at 10% a year for forty years, you'll end up with over $632,000. Set it and forget it.

- Kelly Featherstone ’05

Get References and Recommendation Letters

Most employers request three references on their job applications, and some employers require letters of recommendation. Therefore, prior to graduating from college, students can meet with those people they want to list as references in order to ask their permission for doing so (such as professors, internship supervisors, campus employers, etc.) It's especially beneficial to request a letter of recommendation from someone prior to graduation because it's easier for that person to remember the task if he or she is still in contact with the student. Also, if a student asks for a letter prior to graduation, then there is a greater chance that the person will remember more to write about, such as if a student participated in class regularly.

- Kelly Featherstone ’05