5 Questions You Should Ask Yourself as a Graduate

If you have recently graduated from university, or are about to, congratulations! It’s a big achievement – all those years of study, late nights and exam stress. You deserve to celebrate your success.

But then what?

Ahead of you lies a great life and career as you put what you have learned to use. However, some things aren’t necessarily taught at school or university so I’ve put together my top five questions that you should ask yourself as you move into, or continue in, the world of work.

1. Where am I heading?

There is a scene in Alice in Wonderland where Alice arrives at a fork in the road and sees a Cheshire cat in a tree.

“Which road do I take?” she asks.

“Where do you want to go?” replied the cat.

“I don’t know,” Alice said.

“Then,” said the cat, “it doesn’t matter”.

Having spent many years studying, I assume you have an idea of where you want to go but have you got a map or a plan?

It’s important, if you haven’t already, to spend some time thinking about where you want to be in five or ten years. That said, don’t get too hung up on things. As the last few years have shown us, the world is nothing, if not unpredictable.

We need to remain flexible and nimble, and ‘always leave room for a little bit of magic’ (Dr Tara Swartz, Neuroscientist).

2. Why should I be curious?

I’m a big lover of curiosity and curious people. We are often told to follow our passion. I recommend you follow your curiosity. Your passion is something you know a lot about. Your curiosity may lead you somewhere different. It may be an area that you know nothing about, but you can learn.

Curiosity is the spark for almost everything. It gets us asking questions. How do we find out what we don’t know if we don’t ask questions? Curious people are problem solvers. They are the world’s explorers, inventors and entrepreneurs.

In the words of American Neuroscientist Daniel Levitin, ‘Curious people do better in life’.

[For more information, see 10 Reasons Why Curiosity is Crucial to Success]

3. What does my personal brand say about me?

‘Your brand is what people say about you when you are not in the room’ – Jeff Bezos, Amazon

Have you ever sat down and given your personal brand much thought?

I’m a marketer by trade so I’ve spent a lot of time studying and working on brands. A brand is a trust mark. We rely on brands to guide us in our decision-making. How often do you visit the supermarket and put the same things you always buy in the shopping trolley? We have our favourite brands of tea, chocolate and cheese. We’ve gotten to know these brands. We love them and we trust them.

When it comes to your personal brand, have a good look at yourself. Look in a mirror – a figurative mirror.

What are your values, your vision, your purpose? What is your ‘Why?’?

What are your key characteristics, your strengths, your passions, your dreams, your goals?

Yes, our brand is what others say about us, but we can influence that through our actions, words and online presence. We can position, communicate and amplify our personal brand. I’m not advocating being something you are not. Authenticity is the most important attribute of your brand. Be you but be conscious of what your ‘you’ looks like to the outside world.

Reputation is a crucial part of personal brand. Think about what you want to be known for. How do you want others to see you?

Do a digital audit. Are your privacy settings on social media platforms what they should be? Have you googled yourself lately? What comes up? Is there anything you wouldn’t want current or future employers to see? If you are on LinkedIn, your profile will rank highly on your google search. LinkedIn is the world’s largest professional network and it can be a valuable career tool. Explore it, if you haven’t already.

[Check out Personal Brand: Lessons From the Scottish Highland Clans]

4. Who is in my network?

It’s not what you know. It’s who you know and who knows you!

Networking is about more than just awkward silences at networking events. It is the total sum of everyone you know from the various aspects of your life, as well as those you would like to get to know. The key to successful networks is the relationships you build and maintain with people.

It relies on the universal law of reciprocity – you will find the more you give, the more you get. Be generous with your time and resources.

Be conscious about what you have that you can share to benefit others. Have a useful box that includes things like:

People – who in your network would be a great connection for another person? Who can you introduce someone to that can help solve their problem or achieve whatever goals they are pursuing? Are there authors, bloggers, thought leaders or commentators you could suggest someone checks out?
Reading material – what books, blogs, articles, newsletters or research reports have you found of interest that your connection will also?
Resources – which podcasts, videos, TED talks, industry associations or networking events have inspired you? Send someone a link, details of an upcoming event, or an invitation to join you at a future function.
Recommendations – what amazing restaurants, wine bars or coffee shops do you spend time at that someone else may enjoy? What quirky bookshops, museums or galleries should they check out? This is especially useful if your connection is heading off on a business trip or holiday and you are familiar with their destination.

People in our network can help us achieve our goals, help us with introductions to others and assist with our career but remember – the best time to build your network is before you need it.

[For more detail see Networking: It Takes Work, What’s in Your Useful Box? and Five Life Lessons from 40 Years at Work]

5. How will I react when times get tough?

One of the most important things to develop as we move through our careers and life is resilience.

Life isn’t always fair.

You will get plenty of ‘no’s’ along life’s journey. There will be disappointments, but we must pull ourselves back up. Keep pushing on. An important question to ask ourselves when things haven’t gone the way we wanted is, “What did I learn from this?”

Bad things happen to good people.

You may not get that job or promotion. You may be made redundant. You may have an injury or illness that impacts your work.

The road to success isn’t always straight. Sometimes it’s hard but it is important to keep moving forward. Pick yourself up and say “Next!”.

If you’re confident in who you are, and you’ve built a strong network around you of family, friends and colleagues, it’s easier to keep going.

Final Words

Wherever your career takes you from here, have: