An Open Letter from an Employer to Our College Graduates

As employers, managers and supervisors, it is our responsibility to train, guide and coach our college graduates. They are our future. They will drive our companies, our nations and our world forward.

This blog is a little different. It is an open letter from me, as an employer, sharing 3 bits of advice directed to those who will soon be marching down the aisles of our universities and colleges to receive their diplomas. If you know of someone who is graduating, please share. It may make all the difference in the world to their careers. 

Dear Graduate,

Congratulations! I am so proud of you. You’ve worked hard these past few years, and now it’s time to put all that you’ve learned into practice. I know that you are going to be successful if you keep these 3 pieces of advice in mind as you join the working world that very first day on the job:

1. Watch and learn. You don’t know it all. None of us do, but there is much to gain from observing the generations of professionals who have come before you on this job. Respect the path they have forged and acknowledge the hard work they’ve done in the corporate environment. There will be plenty of time for you to supervise and manage, should this be your desire, but there is a lot to learn in the meantime. Take in all that you can, note the value of what you are learning, and practice, practice, practice.
2. Sharpen your writing skills. If there is one thing that will set you apart from your colleagues, it is having the skill to express yourself through the written word. Let’s face it. Writing is all we seem to do these days. Email, text messages, postings on social media – they all involved writing skills. So if you weren’t paying attention in school when these basic skills were taught, you may want to consider taking a refresher class to brush up. You see, grammar, punctuation and spelling really do matter in the professional world. But I promise you, this will be your personal brand differentiator. It will position you as an intelligent and polished professional even before you enter the room for that interview, meeting or sales call.
3. Live and work from a place of integrity. Your good name is all you have. Protect it. It is the foundation upon which you will build your relationships and your life. Be honest and forthcoming when it comes to communicating, and take personal responsibility when it comes to the decisions you make and the way you conduct yourself on the job and off. Know that every action generates a consequence. Think before you leap. Your good name depends upon it.

I want to congratulate you once again and wish you the best of luck as you begin this next phase of your life. We are all cheering for you and praying for your success.

Wishing you the best,

Angela Megasko, President
Market Viewpoint, LLC

So here’s to graduation time! That time of year when all of our fresh-faced graduates receive their diplomas for completing the necessary courses that give them the right to have initials after their names. They are full of hope and energy as they face their futures, and they are excited to use all of the knowledge they’ve acquired during their college years. Our job is to help them move that knowledge from the text book to the physical world.

[tweetthis]Training, guiding and coaching this next generation of professionals is our job as managers and supervisors.[/tweetthis]

The investment you make in their success is paving the way for a prepared workforce, a strong economy and a nation that continues to lead the world.

As an employer, manager, supervisor or coworker, what piece of advice would you give to college graduates if you had the opportunity?

If you like what you’ve read, please share! There may be a college graduate out there who will appreciate you taking the time to forward this. It shows you care.