Graduate: Get the Training You Need For Your Startup
This year’s crop of college graduates is facing a tough job market. Yes, I know, it’s a perennial story. But in recent years the situation has worsened.
Even the vaunted science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) graduates are dealing with resistance as they enter the workforce; although certain STEM graduates remain in high demand.
This makes conditions ideal for recent college graduates to opt for the entrepreneurial route. However, there is a catch: many don’t have the practical experience required to make the transition. For many of those, although the job market isn’t easy, hiring on with the right company – at least for a while – can serve as a good training ground.
Wealth creation
If you’re a college graduate in this situation, or close to one, start with this truth: You’ll never get rich selling your time. The number of hours you can work is limited and even if you’re making a good hourly rate, your earnings quickly max out. Worse, you’ll find that your living expenses will inflate to equal or exceed your income.
That’s just the way it is.
However, if you create value beyond your personal ability to toil, you can accumulate wealth and the way to do that is through entrepreneurship. If this is ultimately what you would like to do, be careful about who you hire on with immediately out of college.
Look for a company whose founder is still actively leading the way and study what makes her or him successful. Look for character traits and see how you can make them your own.
The right atmosphere
You want a company where the entrepreneurial spirit is still alive and kicking. You want to work in a place where you are encouraged to take initiative and risks. This is the best entrepreneurship training available today.
Keep your eyes open and see everything you do as preparing you for your own startup. Develop key relationships with individuals and other companies. You may meet your partner in your first job out of college and you might get to know the decision makers in a company that will later be central to your entrepreneurial success.
Know what your weaknesses are and actively seek business and personal friendships with people who make up for your shortcomings. Understand what your startup must be good at in order to succeed.
It’s about tomorrow
As a prospective entrepreneur, you must always be looking to the future. It’s not about what you’re doing today; it’s about accomplishing something today that makes tomorrow’s achievements possible. If you systematically go about putting all the pieces together, soon you will be able to see a clear path to your startup. At that point, it becomes a matter of will, commitment and courage.
And hey, you got through four years of college. You can get through four years of a startup.
I can’t wait to see what you’ll do.
Image: Public Domain CC0.