Graduating to Professional

Many of you have graduated or will graduate sometime in the near or distant future. Life after graduation can be both exciting and intimidating. I spent a lot of time and resources on completing my degrees, and I imagine if you’re reading this you may have had a similar experience. I was a first generation college student. I had to work my way through school and rely on scholarships, financial aid, and student loans to get by. I always thought, “You graduate and there’s a job waiting.” That may be true for some people; however, it wasn’t true for me, and it might not be true for you. If that’s the case—I’m sorry. Also, you will more likely than not get a job…it just might not be the job for your first job.

I wanted to share my experience because the time between graduation and your first job in your chosen field can feel pretty isolating and demoralizing. When I graduated with my BSW in December 2007 I was certain there would be a job waiting for me. I did well at both of my practicum sites, there were jobs posted immediately prior to graduation in the area I lived, and I did really well in college. One thing I quickly learned is I did not have a job waiting for me. The two sites I completed my practicum with were staffed. I did end up interviewing at one a little bit later, but my best friend was hired over me. I was excited for her, but I was also feeling defeated. She was the right fit for that ward and that team. Interviews were sparse because openings were sparse.

I was fortunate to have a job working at a local winery as a tour guide (after an interesting 4 years at Wal-Mart), but I had worked so hard to earn my degree and I wanted my work to align with my degree. I’m a believer in things happening as they should, but I was starting to question that (and it’s not the only time in life that I have questioned it). It took 5 months post-graduation to start my first job as a social worker. A month or two prior to that I had two strong job leads.

I interviewed for one social work position at a maximum security facility. I would be treating individuals with histories of sexual offenses, which wasn’t something I considered in college. I thought it went well, but I wasn’t selected. I sent Thank You cards that were personalized to each member of the hiring team, and I expressed my ongoing interest in the role if another happened to open. There were several people on that hiring committee, and a month or two later (it used to take a long time to post and fill positions with a state agency in most cases), they reached out to let me know about another opportunity within the agency. He wanted to interview me for the job he had available in his department, so I interviewed. It was a supervisory position, and I thought it went fairly well, but I wasn’t certain. There was one person in particular who was pretty stoic, and I wasn’t sure how to handle that.

Another interview was a state family agency, and while many dear friends worked there, it wasn’t the population I thought would benefit most from my passion and skills learned through practicum. Nevertheless, options were slim. The interview went really well, and I settled into the thought that this would likely be the place that offered me a job.

As luck would have it, I received two calls a few weeks later on the same day. Both were state agencies, and back then working for the state was something a lot of people hoped for, in any sector or role. The first call came 30 minutes before the second. It was the maximum security facility. I knew two things: I liked the hiring manager and I felt a pull in that direction. Well, I knew three things…the other is I didn’t want to work with kids. The funny part—there were two occasions in my schooling where I said, “I would never work there.” Guess which two agencies I was talking about: that’s right, the two willing to offer me a job. I eventually accepted the first job in maximum security. I was able to let the other know that I deeply appreciated the offer, and that I hoped to work with them in the future in some capacity.

What I later learned is that the first job I interviewed for at the maximum security facility was taken by someone transitioning from a supervisory position into a social work position. That then opened the position I eventually accepted. The supervisor liked my enthusiasm, the knowledge I demonstrated (I did a lot of research on the agency), and the fact that I was thoughtful enough to send a Thank You card. Now, as a 22-year-old, new professional, did I have any business being a supervisor? Probably not, but I understood people, and I used that to build something special with my colleagues over the next two years.

The landscape for jobs wasn’t particularly transparent then, but it’s even more difficult to navigate now. Somehow it’s become convoluted and impersonal to many agencies. Cover letters, resumes, resubmitting the same information on your resume into an online application system after uploading your resume, and researching a role takes a lot of time. AI is now scanning resumes, and people are lucky if their resumes are even seen by a human for some roles. Then there’s the fact that agencies post jobs that they have no intention of filling, or every intention of filling with an internal candidate. While the job market can be very impersonal, the job hunt is deeply personal to the applicant. If you are a recruiter or a hiring manager, please never lose sight of this. Also, if you are looking for a job, don’t lose sight of that passion—it will stand out to the right people.

It’s a lot of words to let you know that you’re not alone. This is hard. It’s still hard when I am looking for other prospects.

What I hope for you: You get hired into the job that is right for you for at this moment in your life; that it brings you growth; that your supervisor is supportive of you; that you have colleagues who value you; that if and when it is time it brings you more opportunities; and most importantly that it brings you happiness. You’ve worked hard to get to where you are. You’ve got this (when the timing is right).

p.s. Send thank you cards. Yes, you can send an email as an immediate thank you, but let them know you are following up with a thank you card because you are grateful for their time, their insight, and the opportunity.