Shifting from college to career is a major life transition which demands that you ask a new set of questions.
If you're getting ready to graduate from college, or recently have, you should know that life as you know it is about to change.
In the academic system, your success is determined by what you know.
You study and take tests, you write papers, you read, you research, you memorize.
You have projects and activities.
Your work product reflects your ability to acquire knowledge, retain it, and regurgitate it in some form.
In college, the evaluation criteria are evident.
The deadlines are clear, and they never change.
And the questions you answer are a reflection of the hard work you have done - they focus on what you know.
Now, the plates have shifted.
In your new life, your work will be certainly directed by what you know, and largely informed by who you are.
But your new questions can't be answered by research or Google.
They're not on Wikipedia.
Only you can discern the answers by being open to reflection and learning.
The questions you must ask on the journey help define who you are.
They are questions like the dozen below, but there are infinite others.
1.
Who am I now? 2.
What are my values, beliefs and assumptions about the world? 3.
What is really important to me? 4.
What are my passions? 5.
What are my strengths? 6.
What new frontiers do I want to explore? 7.
How do I want to present myself, as an employee and colleague? 8.
How will I treat others? 9.
How do I expect them to treat me? 10.
What can I do today to be a better person? 11.
What must I learn today, about me? 12.
What must I learn today, about the journey I am on? There is no grade.
You do not pass or fail.
There is only the introspection of the journey and the rich learning while you encounter and unfold the deep potential that lies within you.
Life is in session, and class begins now.
If you're an excellent student, it's a class that will last your whole life.
The questions of a student and the questions of a young adult vastly differ.
The former questions what we know, and the latter questions who we are becoming.
What are the most important questions for you, right now?
If you're getting ready to graduate from college, or recently have, you should know that life as you know it is about to change.
In the academic system, your success is determined by what you know.
You study and take tests, you write papers, you read, you research, you memorize.
You have projects and activities.
Your work product reflects your ability to acquire knowledge, retain it, and regurgitate it in some form.
In college, the evaluation criteria are evident.
The deadlines are clear, and they never change.
And the questions you answer are a reflection of the hard work you have done - they focus on what you know.
Now, the plates have shifted.
In your new life, your work will be certainly directed by what you know, and largely informed by who you are.
But your new questions can't be answered by research or Google.
They're not on Wikipedia.
Only you can discern the answers by being open to reflection and learning.
The questions you must ask on the journey help define who you are.
They are questions like the dozen below, but there are infinite others.
1.
Who am I now? 2.
What are my values, beliefs and assumptions about the world? 3.
What is really important to me? 4.
What are my passions? 5.
What are my strengths? 6.
What new frontiers do I want to explore? 7.
How do I want to present myself, as an employee and colleague? 8.
How will I treat others? 9.
How do I expect them to treat me? 10.
What can I do today to be a better person? 11.
What must I learn today, about me? 12.
What must I learn today, about the journey I am on? There is no grade.
You do not pass or fail.
There is only the introspection of the journey and the rich learning while you encounter and unfold the deep potential that lies within you.
Life is in session, and class begins now.
If you're an excellent student, it's a class that will last your whole life.
The questions of a student and the questions of a young adult vastly differ.
The former questions what we know, and the latter questions who we are becoming.
What are the most important questions for you, right now?