April 28 , 2006

Career preparation 101: life after college

By PAUL RUTTER
rutterp@marietta.edu

The main purpose of college is to prepare students for employment. In the months and years following graduation, however, students face more than simply finding a job. It is a challenge in and of itself to live on one’s own.

According to the Career Center, the new environment can be a shock to students. Suddenly they are pulled from a highly social college environment into one where there is no homework, no campus organizations or clubs, and peers are much more difficult to find outside of the workplace.

“The first issue is to make sure that you establish a personal life your new environment,” reads a Career Center paper on the issue.

“When you get your city of employment, contact the local chamber of commerce,” says Kathleen Powell, Director of the Career Center. They can provide a list of restaurants, entertainment venues, and community information that can ease one’s adjustment.

“Alumni clubs are another place for people to get connected,” says Powell. Other places to meet people include volunteer activities, professional groups, apartment complexes, or church groups.

Another key issue facing college graduates is financial management. Students are advised to take a realistic view of how far their new salaries will go with incidental expenses, credit card payments, and loans that can quickly add up.

“I think budgeting is one of the biggest concerns,” said Gene Sutton, Associate Director Career Center. Students are hit with a deluge of additional expenses that they may have taken for granted during their stay at Marietta. This includes basics such as electricity, water, trash removal, cable television, Internet, and telephone service.

It’s also never too early to start saving. The Career Center recommends graduates put 10% of their paychecks into savings. “They say pay yourself first, which is of course the last thing anyone does,” says Powell.

For more information, contact Marietta College’s Career Center at x4645 or visit their website at www.marietta.edu/student/career.