A Class of 2022 Advice To Class of 2023 University/College Graduates.

May 18, 2023

Personal Raw Tips for 2023 College/University Graduates from Class of 2022.

One hears every day that time flies. But you would only know how fast it flies once you see yourself swiftly transitioning into responsible individual independent adulthood.

My realisation set in on April 2023 when my alumni university Programme Convener invited me to deliver a speech and offer some advice to current final-year students of the Business School.

Oh wow! It has been one whole year already. That was what I thought. Indeed, a lot could happen in one year... Even though I felt I had nothing much to share with them, I was amazed by the amount of information I was reflectively able to come up with through my lived experiences so far.

Thus, the idea to reach a broader audience came about. When I started writing, I had three friends in mind – two from my former university and one from another university in London. I wanted to write in a way that speaks directly to them.

But then I remembered that my classmates from my home country, Nigeria, whom I would have graduated with if not for an international scholarship (a story for another day) that brought me to Europe, are also graduating this year.

Then I thought of all the other graduates of class 2023 across the globe, and now I am left with thrills of how far my tips may go and how many people they will be invaluable to. For this reason, I wore my cross-cultural and diversity awareness hat as I wrote. Since I am no longer writing to just three friends.

Mine is an exciting and adventurous story because I passed through three universities in different countries before I graduated.

I started as a B.Agric Agricultural Extension student at a Nigerian University before I got a fully-funded international scholarship to Spain after my first year, where I studied a semester in BSc International Forestry Engineering before I left for England, where I graduated with a 1st class (distinction) in BSc (Honours) Business Management from a London university.

From this story, I draw my first point of advice. You have your own story to reflect on to remind you how far you have come and how far you can go – so do not be afraid to draw from this story to motivate you and others and to share them with an audience at any given opportunity, if need be.

Unlike other sets that graduated in different years, I would have commended your tenacity in attending university and graduating during some genuinely unprecedented times. However, we, too, had a similar experience of attending university at the start of the COVID-19 pandemic and were used as an exemplary class to test all the new teaching methods and approaches it brought.

Although, at least, we had what used to be a normal first year in the good old days before the pandemic kicked in. So, I have a share of both experiences. But you, too, have a unique experience of graduating in a time of peak cost of living crises, high cost of energy, political instability and changing world trade, Rusia-Ukrainian war, to mention a few.

You should explore the above experiences and reflect on how to demonstrate to an employer or potential investor how your skills from the university have helped you understand these factors and how you could offer solutions to these real-life critical problems.

Before I go ahead to comment on career tips and advice on professional development, I would like to introduce some real-life nuances that you may not randomly come across. I belong to the school of thought that experience is the best teacher. But I equally have a contrasting view that no one has the time to experience it all and learn from it. So, learning from other people's experiences is similarly an invaluable way of living it.

With that stated, do not be in a hurry to move out from your family house where you pay no or little rent. Or be in a hurry to move to a neighbourhood that you feel compliments your new job salary. That is, if you are lucky enough to secure a graduate entry-level job already or not. Because the property rental market is bloody. And as a first-time solo renter, the systems in place are almost designed to make you pay through your nose. Especially considering the state of things with the global economy.

If it is crucial beyond all reasonable thoughts that you have to relocate home. Then, take your time to research the market for the best deal on rent and security deposits. And do not move in alone. I'd advise you to go for a flatshare for now. You should take this as advice from a former London-based real estate agent, a renter for close to 8 years, and a class 2022 graduate.

Now, let's talk about career and professional development. Personally, I draw my definition of career/professional development from numerous sources. First, I understand that many people conflate the terms “work” and “career.” Researcher – Marina Milosheva explains that work refers to employment and career is different. It is a continuing personal development project.

Understanding this helped me manage the pressure I faced as a fresh graduate last year. You probably feel a lot of pressure right now to make the right decisions about your career. It might feel like those decisions are permanent. They're not. Bill Gates says what you do tomorrow—or for the next ten years—does not have to be what you do forever. However, he advises that you keep gravitating toward work that solves an important problem.

I also follow his advice that suggests that one is never too smart to be confused. So this is why I am always eager to seek new information and to reach out for help – you, too, should do the same.

In my final year at the university, I completed a module in strategy, 'Applied Co-operate Strategy,' where I was introduced to the 'STRATEGY FRAMEWORK – WHERE TO PLAY, HOW TO WIN, MOST IMPORTANT GOAL.' Since then, this is what I continually apply in making any career decision, overlapping all the other suggestions, like Gates gravitating toward work that solves an important problem, etc.

Nevertheless, I understand that building a career that is a continuing personal development project can seem like standing too close at the foot of a very huge mountain with no sight of the tip, how to make the first move towards climbing or the obstacles ahead. There is a quick fix by Marina Milosheva.

Until you figure out your dream role, a quick fix could be to find decent and meaningful work.

Decent work upholds the basic principles of social justice and human rights. You will know that you are in a decent job when you are fairly compensated, your role is not precarious, and work does not make you chronically stressed or ill.

Meaningful work aligns with your values and lets you achieve the kind of life you value. Any work can be meaningful as long as it is compatible with what you consider important.

A meaningful job can be one that allows you to have a good work-life balance or comes with high pay. It could be a job that helps others or one that lets you express yourself creatively. It could also be a job that facilitates your personal growth or a job that contributes to the greater good.

Above all, choose a job that you enjoy and keep learning – so that if you do need to change course in the future, you know how to.

Lastly, do not underestimate the power of friendship and human connection. In Bill Gates's voice, 'Remember that people you've sat next to in lectures, skied Snowbowl with, and competed against on Wingo night are not just your classmates. They are your network. Your future co-founders and colleagues. A great future source of support, information, and advice. The only thing more valuable than what you walk offstage with from a university graduation/convocation stage is who you walk onstage with.'

By the way, do not forget to take care of your health (emotional, mental, physical, financial, spiritual) and general well-being. We all have a million dreams, but someone in a sick bed at the hospital only has one – to be healthy!

You have already made history by getting yourself educated and adding to the wonderful percentage of the human population that has contributed to this astonishing factor that has kept our civilisation for centuries. Thank you for trying and for giving it your best. You made it through in one piece; well done!

Congratulations to you.

Photo by Emily Ranquist on Pexel

Read more advises

The pause after university people hardly talk about. I call it ‘Post University Depression’ (PUD) – by Josephine Kufoalor.
5 things I wish I had heard at the graduation I never had – By Bill Gates.
Why it’s so difficult to figure out what to do with your life – and three steps to take – By Marina Milosheva.
How you can future-proof your career in the era of AI – By Elisabeth Kelan.

Many thanks for reading my perspective and giving feedback.

My fervent wish is for the personal growth of everyone and the success of all young professionals who put their hearts and souls into finding their purpose in life.