Graduating but think the grad job market is bleak??
Published 12 April 2010 by Adam Culligan
So, you graduated top of your class, were Chair of all the right boards, went to the right school and now you've finally got the interview of your dreams with the most prestigious company in the world, with the most prestigious and competitive staff in the world. Now imagine a guy is sitting next to you in the assessment centre and is looking a little nervous and a touch solemn. Since you are a caring and inquisitive person, you spark off a conversation that goes something to the effect of, "wow, lot's of people here, huh?" "Is this your first one of these?" "Have you read up much on the company?". After some prodding, he proceeds to tell you that he hasn't even considered anything to do with his profession the past 5 months, has lost millions of dollars, and has had his personal life crumble like the Berlin Wall. After a little more relationship building, you get more and more comfortable with the fact that this joker has somehow stumbled into this group of the 80 or so best candidates in the world at this moment and he is going to be 80th in the selection process, if he isn't booted before that for even turning up.
Next thing you know, this "joker" is one of the 5 candidates selected and not only is he NOT dead last, he was the fourth candidate selected and was only away from the number one spot by a couple small errors in the interview! How can that be? Well, I suggest you ask every player that finished 5th or worse at the Master's golf tournament in the United States this weekend because that is what Tiger Woods did by finishing only 5 strokes behind a blistering Phil Mickelson. He finished 4th amongst the best golfers in the world, under the most pressure and at perhaps the most prestigious tournament in the world. Some of those guys have to be asking themselves, "what the hell is it going to take to beat this guy?"
Moral of the story, while the long term remains to be seen for Mr. Woods, you can still make mistakes, not have every single box ticked in your resume and still come out on top. It requires dedication, commitment and hard work, but the hard yards may sometimes be the ones that help the most. Good luck this grad season and don't be afraid to be your best!!