Like many of my peers, after finishing college I searched for and found gainful employment. I feel that there are pluses and minuses to that but more on that later.
Social life
Something I struggled with is meeting different people outside of work with different interests. There are things that can help you with that, one that I found pretty helpful is meetup.com. There you can find people that share hobbies with you. There I found groups like wine tasting clubs, scrabble and euker clubs, and ultimate frisbee groups. Also since I'm into running, I found out about a running group and a nearby running store. The idea is go to where people of similar interests will go and you'll find out if there's anything going on. The library notice board is usually a good resource. Groups like Toastmasters will post when they meet.
Reach out to your friend's circle. Maybe a friend of a friend or relative lives in the area you have moved to or are moving to. Yea, it could be awkward. Then again, think about the alternative.
One of the more noticeable differences I've noticed is that-yea, sure you can go out every night of the work week but you need to be able "ring the bell". For those unfamiliar with the phrase, you need to be functional the day after while at work, that is not hungover with bloodshot eyes.
Work Ethic
I've heard over and over from mentors that during first couple of years of your career you need to prove yourself very early on. This way you've got a reputation of being a high performer. Not only does that help you with advancement, it also helps you keep the job you have.
Looking to the future
If you get the opportunity to learn more about something at work, take it. Don't even hesitate! There is a lot of info out there to indicating a graying workforce and there is a lot of opportunity for high performers that want to learn.
Business Week's B-school articles give the impression that you should wait around 5 years after college to start your MBA coursework so that you have lots of real-life business experience. The friends that I have that went to do their MBA directly after undergrad definitely had a harder time to find a job than those without an MBA. This could be because of the state of the economy or more likely an MBA over-qualifies you for entry level position but you are still under-qualified for positions that require a few years more experience.
I hope that helps you with your transition from college to the working world. Any comments would be greatly appreciated.
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