Another year, another semester, another graduating class. Cannot believe it has been 46 years since I graduated from UMass Amherst. Here’s some advice to the class on 2025 based on what I’ve learned over the years.
Focus on what you can actually control. The job market conditions and hiring companies and callback responses from your dream company remain beyond your control. You maintain full authority to handle your application submissions and interview preparation and rejection response approaches.
Stop trying to have the "perfect" career path. Your very first job position does not need to be perfect. Your second one won't be either. Your success depends on acquiring knowledge and your ability to manage any circumstances that arise. Many new graduates turn down suitable job offers because they choose to wait for opportunities that may never appear.
You cannot stop difficult coworkers or bad managers from occurring. Every workplace has them. You maintain control over your ability to handle situations and learn from them and your understanding of when it is time to move on. Devote your energy to people who demonstrate a willingness to transform themselves.
Technical problems will break in ways you didn't expect. You cannot stop all bugs or system failures from occurring. Your control extends to your troubleshooting approaches and your team communication during failures as well as your documentation of learned lessons for future reference.
Your college grades are history now. The grades you earned in college remain in the past regardless of your academic performance. Your success depends on how you utilize your current knowledge and your speed in acquiring and processing new information.
Achieving success (however you define it) does not mean you control everything. The most successful develop expertise in handling any unexpected challenges that emerge.
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