Book Review: Life After College

We're bringing you a book review each month for an extra bit of motivation:

For those of you counting down your final college days, we want to help you prepare you for your after college life. We understand that the last thing you want to do is pick up another book but we promise that the pleasurable reads we're going to share with you are so much easier to get through than some of the gibberish material your professors make you read.

In this course Real Life: 101, the first assigned reading on the syllabus is Life After College: What Your Parents and Professors Never Taught You.

In this text, life after college expert ChaChanna Simpson shares simply stated advice on various difficult situations that recent graduations face: moving back home versus getting your first apartment; preparing for, obtaining, and doing well at your job. She breaks down finances: budgeting, credit scores, health and life insurance, even preparing for retirement. Not only does this text equip you with the basics to start your adult life, but ChaChanna's website dedicated to twenty-somethings Twentity.com offers even more guidance for day to day motivation.

For extra credit, please review the additional resource, Amy DuBois Barnett's Get Yours! How to Have Everything You Dreamed of and More:

This girlfriends’ guide answers many of the questions we have struggled with: how to grab your dream job; how to turn your house (or apartment, or even room) into a space that makes you feel good; how to become financially independent; how to find your personal style. She promotes getting healthy the happy way, without the taboo and stress of abusive diets; She also challenges the reader to reach beyond her comfort zone and to use fear as a motivator rather than an inhibitor. Yes, ladies she even offers advises on relationships. She also encourages the reader to ground herself with an appreciation of not her existence but also the existence of the life that surrounds her. (read the entire review)

We highly recommend this book! It will give you a boost of motivation to jump start your life in the real world.

ChaChanna was gracious enough to stop by to share some words of wisdom:

"Stay committed to your decisions but stay flexible in your approach." --Tony Robbins

My challenge to you today is for you to go back and look at any goals you may have given up on. (You did write them down, right?)

Are there any goals you still would like to reach the light of day?

Revisit what got in the way and ask yourself:

• How else can I accomplish this goal? (Write down all your ideas, no matter how outrageous. Don't restrict yourself. You can go back later and choose the ones that will work.)
• Who can help me get this? (Get someone you trust who will support your ideas.)
• What resources do I need? (You may not have or know everything yet to reach that goal. So find out what you need to know.)

Get those mind juices flowing and get to work on what you want. I'd hate for you to keep depriving the world and yourself of your unique talents. It's really selfish of you.
~ChaChanna

Photo source: Women Reading to Enhance and Enrich Lives

Confidence in the Real World

For most kids, especially in the developmental years, our parents are our greatest supporters; they tell us to chase after our dreams and become whatever we want to be. They are our greatest confidence boosters. However, once we reach certain academic levels and professional heights, we find ourselves constantly challenging ourselves and our self-worth. Low confidence is a major obstacle we must all overcome at some point in our lives. Boosting confidence is not an easy task, and we all cope with this differently. It’s the results that matters the most—incredible confidence to face challenges and keep rising to new heights.

For me, rising to new heights was getting a great job once I graduated from Wesley College in 2007. It is no secret that most college graduates have a hard time finding jobs in the field in which they received their degree. One reason for this trend is that millions of students graduate every year and compete in the same job market that holds few entry level positions. Only the lucky few are granted their dream jobs, while others have to take smaller irrelevant jobs while they wait for something to open up. I was one of the lucky few to find a job within 5 weeks of graduating (and currently employed with the company) with great pay. However, during those 5 weeks I was a nervous wreck and I started to doubt my talents, skills and worth.

I went on countless interviews and was only called back for a second interview twice. I started to doubt all that I learned in college and lost my confidence. I started to think I would never be good as a Media Arts professional or I would never be able to accomplish success like so many other professionals. Some of the job interviewers told me I was under qualified for the position and I needed more experience and I kept saying to myself, “How am I going to get experience if no one will hire me?” Colleges don’t prepare students for rejection, or the ones that do, aren’t doing such a great job.

Though the colleges didn’t prepare me for failure and rejection, I had a great support system of friends and family that helped me realize it is okay to be rejected and fail sometimes. They taught me to take all the negative energy and turn it into something positive. I understood what they were telling me but I was still jobless. Eventually I was hired by Odyssey Networks and some of my confidence was restored. I got the job as a Marketing & Public Relations assistant at a faith-based non-profit media production company. I became part of a team of seasoned professionals hailing from the broadcast industry. Once I learned about the background of the management team, I was once again intimidated and my confidence took a nosedive. I felt intimidated because I didn’t know at the time if I was capable of living up to their standards. I questioned whether I could perform the work without fail. I also worried if I could keep up with their pace and if they chose the right employee for their team.

Once again my support system saved my confidence by teaching me I can never be anyone else but myself and I can only achieve what I want to and be successful at it. They also taught me that the journey would not be easy but I have to be convinced of my worth. My supporters reinforced the idea that trying to live the life of others would only set me back; I needed to find my own identity and capitalize on that to be just as successful.

Today, I still face many obstacles in making myself a marketable employee and constantly proving I am the right person for the job. I am proud and confident to say I achieved a lot in the last 2 years and those around me see it too. For those people who don’t have a strong support system, it is vital to seek to build one. Be open to sincerely connecting with people not merely for a one-way exchange. You may meet truly amazing people along the way that will support and strengthen you on your journey.

You can read more of Desiree's thoughts on books, movies, television series, social media and much more on her blog Desi's Random Thoughts: http://www.desireefrieson.com/
"I have a lot of thoughts and ideas fluttering around in my head and this blog serves as my release!"

Life After College continued

Now that school is back in session, those who have recently graduated may feel a bit abandoned (especially if you have not landed your dream job yet). Allow us to offer you a bit of company and guidance as you enter into this new season of your life.

It has been our experience that college does not adequately prepare you for everything life has to offer, but that does not mean that the resources are not out there. In addition to what we offered in our Life After College issue, we wanted to share a few other resources that can certainly aid you on your post collegiate journey (click on the bold text to be taken directly to the sites):

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• Twentity.com is the creation of the Life After College expert herself, ChaChanna Simpson. In addition to the book, Life After College: What Your Parents and Professors Never Taught You, Twentity.com offers: Graduate Into the Real World Bootcamp-in person presentations-a message board to connect with other twenty-somethings-AND a wealth of valuable resources

• The SASSY blog is another blog with twenty-somethings in mind. Offering tips and sparking discussions on career development, finances, dating and relationships, fashion, social fun and whatever else is thrown a twenty-something’s way.
• With the tagline “Breaking Financial Ceilings One Stiletto at a Time,” Girls Just Wanna Have Funds is a site for every woman trying to take control of her finances. Build your financial stability and prevent money problems with the advice they share.

• James Ray, a powerful motivational speaker, addresses recent graduates on his site.Explore his site even further to learn how to take the next steps towards your goals. (read article)
  

• Visit the Motivation Mama for a daily dose of encouragement, positive vibes, the opportunity to share your successes, whatever you need to move along on your journey to success.

• Occupy you free time with the wisdom of Amy DuBois Barnett in her book Get Yours! How to Have Everything You Dreamed of and More. This book put so many things into perspective for me and motivated me to reach for exactly what I wanted in every aspect of my life. It's an easy read and definitely worth a few revisits. Highly recommended.

• PLUS a little bit of travel fun:The Jet Set Girls have a few good gift ideas for that friend kind enough to open her home to you. A small token of appreciation is the least you can do. (read article)

What resources have you found especially helpful?

*View the Life After College Issue