This weekend I went shooting.
Surprisingly, I wasn’t that bad.
I didn’t shoot myself by accident…so pretty much, I did much better than I expected.
It’s not something I do every day, but I’m glad I did it.
Because for a long time, I’ve been scared of guns. Terrified, really.
And for that reason, I never thought I’d actually pick one up and shoot it.
But I figured that if I ever (God forbid) find myself in a situation where I DO need to know how to shoot to defend myself, I’ll be a lot more successful if I’m comfortable with the basic concepts, having practiced a few times at the shooting range.
I figured that I’d feel a bit more PREPARED.
And that being prepared would ultimately give me a huge advantage.
Because that’s the thing about preparation. It DOES often give you a huge advantage.
And it can make a world of a difference.
Observing people, I’ve seen that there are way too many college graduates that enter the workforce completely unprepared.
However, every once in a while you’ll find a few who are prepared.
Not ENTIRELY prepared, because let’s face it…most of the time we have no idea what we’re doing.
But some graduates know better…some graduates enter new jobs with a basic understanding of work.
How to dress…
E-mail etiquette…
Professional behavior…
How to deal with people who are different…
How to deal with people who are mean…
These are all concepts that I guess some people just tend to take for granted.
Because these days, most universities offer ONE HUNDRED MILLION THOUSAND courses and classes all aimed at helping college students prepare for the real world.
They’re all aimed at making sure that college graduates are successful in the workforce
And well…that’s kind of nice.
But unfortunately, a lot of people think that these sessions are stupid.
Confession: I used to be one of those people who thought the sessions were stupid.
I used to think…I’ll figure it out when I get there.
I used to think…Why waste my time in college preparing for my first real job when I have a million other things to deal with?
But the value of these courses shouldn’t be overlooked.
And if they’re offered to you for FREE, I’m going to punch you in the face if you don’t take advantage of them.
Because you’ll ALWAYS learn something that you didn’t know before.
ALWAYS…as long as you’re willing to listen.
And at the end of the day, that preparation will give you a huge advantage.
That preparation will set you apart from the rest.
That preparation will ensure that you’re successful.
Because just like me and my ability to shoot a gun…you’ll be more comfortable with certain concepts if:
a. you’re familiar with them
b. you’ve practiced, and
c. you’re not caught off-guard.
So if you can, give them a shot. What do you have to lose?
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I think the vast majority of people are like you (and me…) in college and don’t want to take advantage of those free trainings. Any thoughts on how to make the classes and workshops more enticing to college students? I’ve becoming more involved with career services and “purposeful work” at the college where I teach, so I have been pondering this question a lot lately, and have also been wondering if colleges are framing the classes in the wrong way (i.e., if you don’t know WHO you are and WHAT you want to be, planning for interviews and work etiquette seems beside the point…?). Would love to hear your thoughts.
Kayla, I am happy to see you facing your “fear of guns” and recognizing why being educated about firearms is important. Not only for your safety, but also because it’s your right as an American. I have found most women are afraid of firearms mainly because they are just uneducated about them. (I have written a quick blog post if you are interested in a little more information, mostly pertaining to the nomenclature used when the media talks about firearms.hope you find it helpful! http://tacosandtransistors.wordpress.com/2013/01/20/education-is-your-best-weapon/ )
As far as preparing for the real world, I completely agree with you. Just as I prepare for a day I may have to defend myself, it was also important to prepare myself when I would enter the professional world. I graduated with my BSEE in 2011 and was lucky enough to have gotten professional development training through the Society of Women Engineers (SWE). At first I didn’t realize how valuable this was, but then I saw so many of my classmates struggle to jump into finding a job when they had no preparation on how to interview, right a resume, dress, or sell themselves. And in today’s world, you have to sell yourself well. People think that they can just get a job with the fact that they have a degree, it’s not like that. It’s very important to know how you can set yourself apart from everyone else who also wants that job position. If a college grad exits prepared with the knowledge of how to be a professional and how to sell themselves, they will have a significant advantage over someone who has not taken the initiative to prepare themselves. Great topic & advice to all who are looking to graduate soon!
Great advice! Taking the time to prepare is crucial to entering the working world. The is a very obvious difference between those who are prepared and those who aren’t. Not taking the time to prepare during college, or sooner, can put you at a great disadvantage. You can be the same on paper as your competition but if they are more prepared, they will most likely out show you.
PS I love that you went to the shooting range! It’s on my bucket list for sure!
I’ve been with the same employer for almost 10 years. Every time I interview for a position, I put in about 36 to 40 hours of preparation. I’ve beaten some very talented people just do to the reason that I took the time to prepare and they didn’t. Some good advice in this post.