Yikes! Hey college students and young professionals, the job outlook this year for entry-level positions isn’t looking so good.

So,
the following tips are for students and recent grads (all 2.5+M of you)
who aren’t afraid to hear the hard truth about the American workplace.
You may not like what you read, but if you really want to get ahead and
find work that makes you happy, then you must face reality head on.
Think of it as a paper cut – you can either apply the right care to it
now, or you can ignore it, only to wake up and find it infected. Which
will you do? I work with hundreds of professionals who always tell me
the same thing, “I wish I had known these tips when I was starting out.”
So please, don’t ignore the facts. A jump start to a better future is
available to those who heed these tips – guaranteed.

TIP #1:
You are the most educated generation to enter the workforce, but you are
also viewed as the least prepared. Don’t be blind-sided by your
generation’s professional reality.

Your generation, Generation
NEXT (also known as Gen Y & Millenials) is the largest and most
educated generation to enter the workforce in US history (over 70% plan
to get undergraduate degrees and another 40% plan to get advanced
degrees). Unfortunately, you are also seen as professionally immature
and a huge challenge in the workplace. How did this happen? A little
historical perspective helps to explain…

Years ago, getting a
degree was a privilege and done with intent. If you were lucky enough to
go to college, you knew what you were studying and what your career
would be before you even began. You could expect a nice starting salary
and a bright financial future. You also could count on a lifetime of
employment and lots of career development from a single firm. A gold
watch and a retirement package were often your reward for loyal years of
service.

Fast forward to today: there are thousands of colleges
and anyone who wants to go can get in somewhere. Thus, a college degree
doesn’t get you a ‘leg up,’ it just allows you to ‘step up’ to the
career starting line. Inflation has outpaced starting salaries, and the
average student graduates $17+K debt but without the professional
experience and focus of those who graduated years ago. As many as 4 out
of 5 college students have to move home after school because they can’t
afford to live on their own. In short, a college degree today is more
expensive – but the return on the investment is down significantly.

TIP
#2: The other generations in the workforce don’t have much compassion
for your situation. You are being incorrectly perceived as lazy,
entitled and arrogant. Don’t validate these beliefs by ignoring their
concerns, instead, work to overcome them.

The other
generations in the workforce think you deserve some ‘tough love.’ They
are frustrated by your attitude in the workplace. The generations before
you worked hard, paid their dues in jobs they didn’t enjoy, and now
want respect for their professional battle scars. Many of them had to
pay for school themselves and didn’t have the option or time to identify
a career they could get excited about. The pressure to pay the bills
and be out on their own forced them to put their professional
satisfaction on the back burner. So, they don’t appreciate you
criticizing or challenging the workplace they created. These actions go
against how they were raised on-the-job. And while no one expects you to
follow in their footsteps, you do need to recognize that work
experience is critical to developing your own knowledge and skills. We
don’t run until we learn to walk, right? So, it’s time to consider that
you your views and opinions on-the-job may not be fully grown yet.
Before you offer advice on how a situation should be improved in the
workplace, take the time to seek out the varying generational
perspectives of those that have been there before you and make an effort
to understand their point of view. The best employees know how to
‘manage up.’ That means, coaching those above you in order to get the
results you desire. The first and most important rule in coaching is ,
“Ask, don’t tell.” If you want to change a person’s point of view, you
need to broaden their perspective by asking questions that will provide
you with a more comprehensive understanding of their position.

Here’s
something to consider: Generation NEXT is known as compassionate and
socially responsible. You are worried about the world and care about
those around you. So why not include the generations above you in your
efforts to create a better world? Share with them your ideas and
enthusiasm, but respect their knowledge and time spent in the trenches.
Assess your thoughts and think carefully about how you convey yourself
on-the-job. Your opinions do matter, but will only be heard if you can
articulate them in a way that connects you to those you wish to
influence. Learn to speak their language, and all ears will be on you.

TIP
#3: DON’T road trip, backpack or ‘take a year off’ without thinking
about your career first. Those who delay to play, often pay!

As
graduation approaches, many students feel the pressure of career and
think, “I’ve done what’s expected of me and now I deserve to do
something for myself.” However, rewarding yourself without at least
organizing your plans for career before you go can make embarking on a
job search when you return more difficult. Here are some stats to
consider: Landing an entry-level job after school (from start to finish)
averages at least two months. The process of finding the job
opportunity, going on the interviews, receiving and accepting the job
offer, and then starting the job, all take time. It is easier to manage
this process when you are close to resources (i.e. campus career center)
and a network of peers who are in the midst of finding work too. All
too often, college grads put off their career homework until after
they’re done having fun. They return home and suddenly find themselves
alone and without the support of their friends and school to help them.
Add in the potential pressure of parents over your shoulder, inquiring
about your progress, and looking for a job can become very overwhelming.
I once had an angry father call me to inquire about my services for his
son because, in his own words, “My son just got back from a 7-month
road trip of fun only for me to find out he has no idea of what he wants
to do or how to find a job. What did I spent $80K on a college
education for?!?!” This father-son relationship was quite strained, and
much of my time coaching this new college grad was spent trying to get
him to stop beating himself up for not taking responsibility for his
future. Don’t get stuck in this position. You must consider the
consequences of your actions.

But, if this isn’t enough reason to
focus on your career goals before you go, consider this: opting to play
as opposed to looking for a job sends a clear message to employers
regarding your professional priorities. Here’s a true story, I was
speaking to a manager of a successful consulting practice in March of
last year who was looking for an intern. She had just interviewed a
young woman who had graduated the previous May and had opted to grab a
job as a bartender because in her own words, “I didn’t know what I
wanted to do and wasn’t ready for a real job.” The young woman had
impressed the manager with her energy and appearance but was concerned
with the young woman’s inability to convey clearly how and why she now
was ready to commit to a full-time, professional position. The client
opted not to hire this graduate and said to me, “I think I’d rather wait
two more months and get an intern from the upcoming graduating class.
That way, I’ll know the person I hire has a sense of urgency to work and
be successful.”

Actions speak louder than words, so choose wisely
what you do after graduation. The best way to enjoy taking time off
after college is to make sure your professional game plan is in order
BEFORE you go. And when you return and start looking for a job, don’t
forget to incorporate what you’ve learned about yourself while on your
post-college adventure and how you plan to use that knowledge in your
career.

TIP #4: More degrees don’t mean more money! If you aren’t sure what to do next, the LAST thing you should do is stay in school.

Several
years ago, I was in a meeting with a group of college seniors. I went
around the room and asked each attendee what they were thinking of doing
after graduation. As I arrived at a young man who appeared confident to
the point of cocky, his response was, “I’m planning to go to law
school, get my MBA, or get a Masters in Education.” Given that it was
April and graduation season was a month away, I was very surprised. So I
asked him, “Why law school?” His response was a flustered ‘um, um’
followed by a defensively toned, ‘Because I think I might like it.”
Needless to say, six months later, he was seeking career coaching. He
had graduated, had no idea of what he really wanted to do, nor how to
find the answer. I think many college grads are like this young man.
They believe that education is a safe bet. His multi-faceted answer
months earlier had been his way to make sure everyone was impressed,
while he secretly was confused about what to do next. I’m just glad he
didn’t force himself to go to school to save face! Going back to school
without determining a financially sound reason to go is a risky
investment. Advance degrees only provide career advancement when they
offer the opportunity to build a specific skill set for a particular
job/career. Don’t go back to school unless you are 100% certain you’ll
use what you learn to get ahead. Better still, work for a company who
will pay for it. Don’t believe me? Then consider these facts: some
studies suggest as many as