Reality: Nowadays, it is the norm that you will land a job which is quite different from the degree you specialized in. The trick here is not to be too choosy or picky. Employers are always complaining that fresh grads nowadays are too choosy about the jobs that they will have to accept. What they don’t realize is that everyone will have to work their way from bottom to up. It is through hard work and determination that one can climb up the corporate level.

Myth: I major in engineering. My job in the engineering field at entry level should be at least 3,000.

Reality: The current pay for any field for a fresh grad is always changing and very much depends on the economic climate. The job market always wanes and wanes, not to mention the oversupply from universities in some professions. Currently, it is the employer’s market.

Myth: I am now starting my first job as a junior accountant. So, filling up the papers for the fax machine, making calls and booking appointments for my boss is NOT required of me. It is not in my job description to do all of those!

Reality: Multi tasking is one trait fresh grad will have to grasp quickly in order to survive in the working realm. Every employer will value an employee who has the ability to multi task as it shows that you have the initiative and is serious about your job. An employee who can multi task will often get far.

Myth: I have graduated! I am now a degree holder! Every employer will want me to work for them!

Reality: Graduated doesn’t guarantee you a job nowadays. Employers are looking not only for a piece of degree but, working experience as the hassle of training a fresh grad is costly and time consuming. So, for your first job, be prepared to get a lower salary than you expected. Perform your best, impress your boss, and you will have a bigger paycheck. It always works this way.

Myth: I found a job which required the degree I specialized in. So, why do they deem me as not suitable for the job?

Reality: Fresh grads nowadays need to brush up their communication skill, time management skill and languages, especially English. Annie Fernandez, CEO, EML-BMB once said ‘’ Brush up on your English, because the medium of communication in the business world is still English, no matter what company you work in.’’ Foreign languages is always an added advantage. For people skills, you will need to read up a lot of self-help books to polish this skill. Attend seminars or take up special classes to polish on different skills to make yourself a valuable job seeker.

Myth: All jobs should be a 9-5 job. My working environment should be comfortable and all my co-workers should be nice and friendly.

Reality: Ideally, it should be like that of above. But, the working world nowadays have change so rapidly. Overtimes are required, deadlines have to be met and your co-workers want that promotion as much as you do, thus, it has the ability to turn nasty. So, it is vital that one should be wise and do not trust everyone that easily and on top of it all, maintain a sense of professionalism. In the working world, one must always maintain control of one’s temper and emotions (unlike during schooldays) you are required to get along well with the others, in other words, to be a team player.

Myth: I have acquired all the skills needed for the job. So, I don’t need to take anyone’s advice on what to do. I don’t need to learn more because I already know everything.

Reality: This attitude can be the most damaging to one’s career. It shows your low mentality, and you refuse to accept constructive criticism, thus, your learning process is ‘freeze’. You can’t move on to a better level because of this negative attitude. It is advisable to make decisions fast and accurate but, always see your boss as your mentor. Seeking his/her advice is a form of respect and willing to acknowledge your mistakes that he/she pointed out is going to get you far. The key here is having respect for your boss’s judgement and experience. Bear in mind that no one will know EVERYTHING. Having confidence is a good thing but no employer will ever promote an arrogant employee.

-------
JobListed.com

I really wish I had a job...

-------
FREE WEB HOSTING
MY PERSONAL SITE
GET PAID TO REVIEW MY BLOG

Once I get my degree I'll be starting at £23,000 and moving up the pay bands until I get to £77,000

-------
The name is Captain Jimbob.

I never really wanted a mundane, hectic life anyway.

---

I'm with Omally...fuck work.  University system is just a scam anyway.  All that money for something you can learn with a few hours of browsing on the net, a trip to the library, and some dedication.  And then what do you get for completing 4 years of study at the price of more than most peoples parents make a year...a fuckin job that pays you just enough to make you take out credit cards, a mortgage, and a car note...and then you're stuck in the rat race. Lets get free!

---

Great post. I can tell you think in a way that is much different from most people, and you should continue that way. There is strength in your words, an unwillingness to compromise your vision or settle for less, and that to me is beautiful to read. I like to see that attitude in people, especially young people, though, who have no reason to act so beaten down by the world.

I feel that too many people just accept whatever they are given, and they never really strive for anything greater than this mediocre path that won't take them to financial success or even just general happiness. Not everyone has to make tons of money, but everyone should strive to work a job they enjoy and have some dignity anyway.

I have never worked for anyone else in my life, I've run an Internet business and made money online advertising (a few thousand per month back in the heydey), I sold golf balls on a local golf course when I was really young (maybe 7-11 years old or so) and made a few bucks that way, and I was investing money when I was young and learning how it all worked. Now I refuse to work for anyone else. This whole mentality of getting a job as the ONLY way to make money or exist is completely wrong. There are better ways to make a living, especially in our society.

Let's face it, nobody who is paying you is going to pay you more than they have to. I'm starting up a small company, and I always pay the minimum for any job I have, because I'd rather take more money for myself as long as I can find someone competent to do the job. It's not greed, it's just common sense. If I make $15,000 on something and have 10 people who would be happy to help me on the project for $1,000, why would I pay someone $5,000? It would be terrible business to do that, unless the person who wanted $5K was giving me a much better project, and that's simply not the case most of the time. The best way to make money is going into business for yourself, where you call the shots and your hard work directly decides what you get paid.

When I came down to Los Angeles, I took one look at the film industry that I wanted to be in and realized immediately that nobody will start you off where you want to be, you always have to start at the bottom, and that wasn't something I wanted to do. The best way to make sure you don't start at the bottom is to work for yourself. Now I don't have to go work on someone else's set doing a lousy job for free, I can work on my own set doing what I want to do, hiring who I want to hire to work with me, and reaping the rewards when there are any.

Working for a major company, there are only a few people who will benefit -- the people at the very top. Your hard work is making them more money. They have no obligation to share it with you, and shouldn't do so, either. They are businessmen. They will pay you the going rate for someone with your skills, and that's it. If you want more, you need to be in business for yourself. Otherwise, you have to be content with what you're given.

What shocks me is people who spend $100,000 going to college. If you spend that much money on college, that's an awful business move. You could take that money and easily start a business that would make you $20,000 to $30,000 per MONTH, in less than two years. There are many ways to do it, but money that significant should be invested in equipment that makes you money, not put into education where it just disappears into thin air. That's way too much money. Even if you are guaranteed an engineering job that pays $50,000 per year if you go to X school that costs $125,000 total for four years (which would not even be that bad, living expenses included, compared to some schools), I would still argue you're making a lousy investment. $50,000 per year is not good pay. It's just ok pay. Real money is something $250,000 and over.

Post edited at 1:46 am on July 24, 2007 by StarWarsAuthor

-------
Author of two Star Wars non-fiction books, Anticipation and Revenge.
Check out www.anticipationbook.com and www.episode3book.com

this thread is surely insightful...and i could have agreed more.

-------
University Love Connection