WEBVTT 00:00:24.029 --> 00:00:27.449 Welcome to live with Dr. Andre Jerry, your prime 00:00:27.449 --> 00:00:30.489 time destination for bold conversations. unfiltered 00:00:30.489 --> 00:00:33.409 truth, and real life inspiration. I'm your host, 00:00:33.450 --> 00:00:36.350 Dr. Andre Jerry, broadcasting live from San Juan, 00:00:36.350 --> 00:00:39.770 Puerto Rico. Tonight's episode is proudly sponsored 00:00:39.770 --> 00:00:43.469 by Indeed .com, a leading platform dedicated 00:00:43.469 --> 00:00:45.630 to helping people find meaningful employment. 00:00:46.189 --> 00:00:47.850 So whether you're a recent graduate entering 00:00:47.850 --> 00:00:51.670 the job market or a professional navigating a 00:00:51.670 --> 00:00:54.689 transition in your career, Indeed is going to 00:00:54.689 --> 00:00:56.530 provide the tools and resources that you need 00:00:56.530 --> 00:01:00.259 to apply, connect, and get hired. faster and 00:01:00.259 --> 00:01:02.500 more efficiently. And we'll share more about 00:01:02.500 --> 00:01:05.500 our sponsor later in the show. Okay, so we're 00:01:05.500 --> 00:01:08.799 two weeks into the month of May. And as I'm sure 00:01:08.799 --> 00:01:11.359 you've seen from all of the graduation pics on 00:01:11.359 --> 00:01:15.739 your timeline, graduation season is in full effect. 00:01:16.219 --> 00:01:18.280 And so in light of that, I'm dedicating this 00:01:18.280 --> 00:01:22.760 week's episode to the class of 2025. So really 00:01:22.760 --> 00:01:25.379 a big congratulations to all the graduates who 00:01:25.379 --> 00:01:27.959 made it to the finish line, made it across the 00:01:27.959 --> 00:01:31.379 stage. and have advanced to the end of your academic 00:01:31.379 --> 00:01:34.540 career. You guys made it through all the virtual 00:01:34.540 --> 00:01:38.340 classes, the economic chaos, the political shifts, 00:01:38.859 --> 00:01:41.819 and really generational burnout. And now you're 00:01:41.819 --> 00:01:44.219 walking across that stage with your heads held 00:01:44.219 --> 00:01:46.599 high and your diploma in your hand. And so that's 00:01:46.599 --> 00:01:49.159 not just a win, that's a true testimony of you 00:01:49.159 --> 00:01:52.980 guys' endurance and resilience. So I really want 00:01:52.980 --> 00:01:56.019 you to take in this moment and celebrate this 00:01:56.019 --> 00:01:58.349 huge achievement in your life. And I don't care 00:01:58.349 --> 00:02:00.790 if you're graduating from an Ivy League university, 00:02:01.090 --> 00:02:05.069 HBCU, a state university, community college, 00:02:05.510 --> 00:02:09.310 or a tech school. Following any course of study 00:02:09.310 --> 00:02:12.550 through to completion is definitely a big deal 00:02:12.550 --> 00:02:15.889 that's worthy of your celebration. All right? 00:02:16.169 --> 00:02:18.889 Because for every graduate that's walking across 00:02:18.889 --> 00:02:21.870 that stage, just think about it. There are thousands 00:02:21.870 --> 00:02:26.689 that either dropped out, flunked out, quit. or 00:02:26.689 --> 00:02:29.189 didn't bother to pursue their education at all. 00:02:29.949 --> 00:02:32.229 So seriously, I hope you guys take a pause to 00:02:32.229 --> 00:02:35.509 just reflect on all of your hard work and dedication 00:02:35.509 --> 00:02:38.409 that led up to this moment. And if you have a 00:02:38.409 --> 00:02:40.969 graduate in your family or in your social circle, 00:02:41.150 --> 00:02:44.050 take a moment to congratulate them and give them, 00:02:44.050 --> 00:02:47.289 you know, a graduation thumbs up on their post. 00:02:47.610 --> 00:02:50.090 You know, these young people worked hard. They 00:02:50.090 --> 00:02:52.509 really did, and they definitely deserve a pat 00:02:52.509 --> 00:02:55.419 on the shoulder. But let's talk about what happens 00:02:55.419 --> 00:02:58.719 after all the fanfare and the celebration phase, 00:02:58.759 --> 00:03:02.460 right? The real question is going to be, OK, 00:03:02.620 --> 00:03:06.699 what do I do now? So tonight, we're going to 00:03:06.699 --> 00:03:09.240 talk about some real talk. And without all the 00:03:09.240 --> 00:03:12.000 fluff, that's why I titled this episode Real 00:03:12.000 --> 00:03:14.740 Talk Class of 2025, because somebody's got to 00:03:14.740 --> 00:03:17.060 break down what's really waiting for you guys 00:03:17.060 --> 00:03:20.979 on the other side of that diploma, the economy. 00:03:21.319 --> 00:03:23.919 You know how it's going right now, the job market, 00:03:24.360 --> 00:03:28.360 the salary expectations, all the rejection, and 00:03:28.360 --> 00:03:31.020 the opportunities also that are out there. But 00:03:31.020 --> 00:03:32.800 most importantly, we're going to talk about your 00:03:32.800 --> 00:03:35.900 strategy. And I'll also share a little bit about 00:03:35.900 --> 00:03:38.020 my own story. We'll talk about some of the highs 00:03:38.020 --> 00:03:40.780 and the detours and the grind and how I pivoted 00:03:40.780 --> 00:03:43.740 from graduate to having an incredible career 00:03:43.740 --> 00:03:47.560 in the defense sector. All right, so class of 00:03:47.560 --> 00:03:49.800 2025, I want you to grab your notebook or open 00:03:49.800 --> 00:03:53.189 your notes app. because this episode is all about 00:03:53.189 --> 00:03:56.729 you. All right, so like I said, I'm super proud 00:03:56.729 --> 00:03:58.550 of this graduating class, and I'm going to tell 00:03:58.550 --> 00:04:02.590 you why. You guys aren't just walking across 00:04:02.590 --> 00:04:06.629 that stage with a degree. In my estimation, you're 00:04:06.629 --> 00:04:08.610 walking across that stage with a battle record. 00:04:09.169 --> 00:04:12.870 Because all of you have had to navigate a five 00:04:12.870 --> 00:04:16.250 -year stretch, really unlike any other generation 00:04:16.250 --> 00:04:18.550 in modern history. Because, I mean, think about 00:04:18.550 --> 00:04:20.920 it. Look at what you guys have lived through 00:04:20.920 --> 00:04:23.879 during this academic journey. The first thing, 00:04:24.079 --> 00:04:27.639 it was COVID, right? The global pandemic, it 00:04:27.639 --> 00:04:30.420 shut everything down, your campuses. It flipped 00:04:30.420 --> 00:04:33.600 your entire learning experience upside down. 00:04:34.120 --> 00:04:37.500 You guys were forced into remote classrooms and 00:04:37.500 --> 00:04:40.899 virtual labs. I know you got sick and tired of 00:04:40.899 --> 00:04:44.399 Zoom. Definitely got some Zoom fatigue. You had 00:04:44.399 --> 00:04:47.550 internships that were canceled. And a lot of 00:04:47.550 --> 00:04:49.870 your friendships and social connections became 00:04:49.870 --> 00:04:52.649 a lot more distant as well. And so really what 00:04:52.649 --> 00:04:55.209 was supposed to be the best years of your life 00:04:55.209 --> 00:04:57.389 sort of felt like you were in survival mode. 00:04:57.850 --> 00:05:00.610 There's a lot of isolation and uncertainty going 00:05:00.610 --> 00:05:03.290 on in the world. And you guys had to adapt to 00:05:03.290 --> 00:05:05.670 a new normal that we all haven't had to adapt 00:05:05.670 --> 00:05:09.649 to before. And so while all of that was happening, 00:05:10.189 --> 00:05:13.149 then there's the economy and how it took a while, 00:05:13.209 --> 00:05:15.949 right? We had the inflation that's still happening. 00:05:16.279 --> 00:05:19.300 There were interruptions to our supply chain. 00:05:19.819 --> 00:05:23.220 There were layoffs in every sector. You watched 00:05:23.220 --> 00:05:25.579 your families, your communities, maybe even your 00:05:25.579 --> 00:05:28.920 own job be impacted. And we talked about food 00:05:28.920 --> 00:05:31.920 prices. In one of our recent shows, food prices 00:05:31.920 --> 00:05:36.360 went up significantly. Rent skyrocketed. And 00:05:36.360 --> 00:05:38.079 don't even get me started on student loan debt. 00:05:38.120 --> 00:05:41.819 That's been a roller coaster for years between 00:05:41.819 --> 00:05:45.029 deferments and... the student loan interest and 00:05:45.029 --> 00:05:47.170 the promise of BIC cancellation that was going 00:05:47.170 --> 00:05:50.149 to come about, that was kind of dangled in front 00:05:50.149 --> 00:05:52.189 of you like a carrot by the last administration. 00:05:52.550 --> 00:05:56.209 That fell flat. So I know a lot of you may feel 00:05:56.209 --> 00:05:59.689 like the system played you a bit. So when you 00:05:59.689 --> 00:06:02.850 factor all of that stuff in, and not to mention 00:06:02.850 --> 00:06:04.949 all the pressure with the coursework, the finals, 00:06:05.009 --> 00:06:07.829 just trying to stay focused, it was a lot. But 00:06:07.829 --> 00:06:10.269 you guys adapted and you did whatever you had 00:06:10.269 --> 00:06:12.879 to do to stay afloat. You know, a lot of you 00:06:12.879 --> 00:06:17.079 door dashed Uber. You worked double shifts. Pilled 00:06:17.079 --> 00:06:20.360 things down at home or just found any type of 00:06:20.360 --> 00:06:23.420 way you could to keep everything together. And 00:06:23.420 --> 00:06:25.740 for that, you really do deserve some serious 00:06:25.740 --> 00:06:28.540 credit. And then there's the political chaos 00:06:28.540 --> 00:06:31.180 that you guys lived through. It was one of the 00:06:31.180 --> 00:06:34.500 most divisive presidential elections in recent 00:06:34.500 --> 00:06:37.800 memory. And you know, for years now, the news 00:06:37.800 --> 00:06:41.430 cycle has been just a constant repeat of nonstop 00:06:41.430 --> 00:06:45.449 misinformation, performative politics, debates 00:06:45.449 --> 00:06:49.509 over your rights, by the way, from voting, student 00:06:49.509 --> 00:06:53.189 loans, reproductive freedoms, basic civil liberties, 00:06:53.329 --> 00:06:55.910 all of this stuff. And you guys were just trying 00:06:55.910 --> 00:06:57.889 to finish your undergrad degree or finish your 00:06:57.889 --> 00:07:02.250 senior year capstone. And then boom, enter AI, 00:07:02.689 --> 00:07:05.730 generative AI exploded on the scene and really 00:07:05.730 --> 00:07:08.209 changed a lot of things about how the world works, 00:07:08.230 --> 00:07:11.120 how we communicate. how we approach our work 00:07:11.120 --> 00:07:15.139 and our projects, even how a lot of these companies 00:07:15.139 --> 00:07:18.319 that you're applying to, how they hire. And see, 00:07:18.399 --> 00:07:20.740 right now, you guys are graduating into a job 00:07:20.740 --> 00:07:23.620 market where companies are trying to figure out 00:07:23.620 --> 00:07:26.240 if they want to hire you or they want to hire 00:07:26.240 --> 00:07:29.980 a bot. That's really what it's come down to. 00:07:30.040 --> 00:07:34.100 So really think about that. What impresses me 00:07:34.100 --> 00:07:37.300 the most about you guys, class of 2025, you guys 00:07:37.300 --> 00:07:39.439 didn't fold under all that pressure. You didn't 00:07:39.439 --> 00:07:42.600 drop out. You didn't disappear. You didn't let 00:07:42.600 --> 00:07:46.699 all that stuff I mentioned bury you. You adjusted. 00:07:46.819 --> 00:07:50.060 You stepped up. You logged in. You went to your 00:07:50.060 --> 00:07:53.740 courses. You got on Zoom 100 times. You pressed 00:07:53.740 --> 00:07:57.480 forward. You finished. You lived through a global 00:07:57.480 --> 00:08:01.939 pandemic, economic shifts, this mass culture 00:08:01.939 --> 00:08:05.029 of Racial stuff that's going on technological 00:08:05.029 --> 00:08:08.930 disruption You know, we're just in a really unstable 00:08:08.930 --> 00:08:11.089 world right now But somehow you guys made it 00:08:11.089 --> 00:08:14.269 all the way to the finish line and it tells me 00:08:14.269 --> 00:08:16.470 something really Important about you guys. It 00:08:16.470 --> 00:08:18.790 tells me that you don't just have knowledge. 00:08:18.790 --> 00:08:22.649 You've got it Okay, you don't just have potential 00:08:22.649 --> 00:08:26.870 you have the proof of your potential So you guys 00:08:26.870 --> 00:08:30.149 just don't deserve success. You you're definitely 00:08:30.149 --> 00:08:32.960 fully equipped for Because listen if you could 00:08:32.960 --> 00:08:35.840 complete your education during all of that stuff 00:08:35.840 --> 00:08:37.919 Then you've already proven that you have what 00:08:37.919 --> 00:08:40.919 it takes in this unique job market that we're 00:08:40.919 --> 00:08:45.240 in So hats off to you, you know the fact that 00:08:45.240 --> 00:08:48.039 you're here right now tuned into this show You're 00:08:48.039 --> 00:08:49.879 ready to face the next phase of your life that 00:08:49.879 --> 00:08:52.980 speaks volumes You know, you're not the lost 00:08:52.980 --> 00:08:55.100 generation that a lot of guys are making you 00:08:55.100 --> 00:08:57.740 out to be I think you guys are awesome So today 00:08:57.740 --> 00:09:00.080 I'm saluting you and we're gonna get into the 00:09:00.080 --> 00:09:02.799 hard truths about the job market and all of that. 00:09:02.840 --> 00:09:06.539 But just remember, you've already proven that 00:09:06.539 --> 00:09:09.279 you have what it takes to navigate tough terrain. 00:09:10.120 --> 00:09:13.539 So now let's just get you ready to own it, all 00:09:13.539 --> 00:09:17.500 right? So listen, if you are graduating with 00:09:17.500 --> 00:09:20.679 your master's degree, then great. Congratulations. 00:09:21.100 --> 00:09:24.460 You're stepping into the workforce with a clear 00:09:24.460 --> 00:09:28.539 competitive edge, right? You've gained relevant 00:09:28.539 --> 00:09:33.500 experience. along the way, hopefully. And really 00:09:33.500 --> 00:09:36.539 earning a master, it signals to employers and 00:09:36.539 --> 00:09:39.559 recruiters that you're bringing a lot more to 00:09:39.559 --> 00:09:42.259 the table than book knowledge. You've developed 00:09:42.259 --> 00:09:45.120 specialized skills along the way, some strategic 00:09:45.120 --> 00:09:49.559 thinking, and just a level of professional commitment 00:09:49.559 --> 00:09:52.460 that's gonna set you apart from your contemporaries. 00:09:53.100 --> 00:09:55.860 And this is especially true in high -growth fields 00:09:55.860 --> 00:10:01.330 like... data analytics, finance, health administration 00:10:01.330 --> 00:10:04.509 also, technology, any technology related field, 00:10:04.570 --> 00:10:07.149 and also in education. These are all sectors 00:10:07.149 --> 00:10:10.330 where advanced degrees, yeah, they're respected, 00:10:10.409 --> 00:10:13.769 but they're also expected for you to have those. 00:10:15.309 --> 00:10:18.330 According to the U .S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, 00:10:19.269 --> 00:10:21.870 professionals with a master's degree earn about 00:10:21.870 --> 00:10:26.110 $240 more per week than those with only a bachelor's. 00:10:26.509 --> 00:10:28.850 So think about that. Over the course of an entire 00:10:28.850 --> 00:10:31.110 career, that's going to add up to a lot of money, 00:10:31.610 --> 00:10:33.889 almost a half a million dollars in additional 00:10:33.889 --> 00:10:38.769 lifetime earnings. So it's not just a credential. 00:10:39.470 --> 00:10:42.590 That's actual leverage. And what that means is 00:10:42.590 --> 00:10:45.129 that a master's degree is going to pay for itself. 00:10:45.909 --> 00:10:48.289 So you're not going to just be breaking even 00:10:48.289 --> 00:10:50.950 if you invest in yourself and get your master's 00:10:50.950 --> 00:10:53.330 degree. You're going to be building equity in 00:10:53.330 --> 00:10:55.980 your earning power over the years. and you're 00:10:55.980 --> 00:10:58.919 going to be opening doors to leadership opportunities 00:10:58.919 --> 00:11:03.460 and much higher salaries and really increase 00:11:03.460 --> 00:11:07.379 career mobility over time. But I want to speak 00:11:07.379 --> 00:11:11.399 directly to my bachelor degree students for a 00:11:11.399 --> 00:11:14.200 moment, because earning your undergraduate degree 00:11:14.200 --> 00:11:17.840 is definitely a major achievement. It is. So 00:11:17.840 --> 00:11:21.960 yeah, go out and get those reps in. Pursue the 00:11:21.960 --> 00:11:25.039 entry level positions. Build your resume. And 00:11:25.039 --> 00:11:27.659 just do whatever you can to find your rhythm 00:11:27.659 --> 00:11:31.700 in this workforce that we're in. But while you're 00:11:31.700 --> 00:11:33.840 doing all of that, I want you to start thinking 00:11:33.840 --> 00:11:37.620 about what your next move is going to be. And 00:11:37.620 --> 00:11:40.879 I strongly encourage you to consider pursuing 00:11:40.879 --> 00:11:44.220 your master's degree. And why do I say that? 00:11:44.539 --> 00:11:48.379 Because, like I said earlier, in today's oversaturated 00:11:48.379 --> 00:11:51.500 market, a bachelor's degree is going to give 00:11:51.500 --> 00:11:56.429 you an edge. really the bare minimum. I always 00:11:56.429 --> 00:11:58.950 say the bachelor's degree is like the new high 00:11:58.950 --> 00:12:03.529 school diploma. According to the National Center 00:12:03.529 --> 00:12:06.629 for Education Statistics, over two million bachelor 00:12:06.629 --> 00:12:09.730 degrees are awarded in the U .S. every year. 00:12:11.190 --> 00:12:15.429 And really what that means is when you apply 00:12:15.429 --> 00:12:19.269 for a position, even one that just says bachelor's 00:12:19.269 --> 00:12:22.460 required. You're likely going to be up against 00:12:22.460 --> 00:12:26.080 a long list of applicants who have their MBAs. 00:12:26.080 --> 00:12:29.899 They have portfolios. They have a long list of 00:12:29.899 --> 00:12:32.940 certifications. They have their relevant experience. 00:12:33.980 --> 00:12:37.519 You see? And companies like, you know, especially 00:12:37.519 --> 00:12:40.059 your Fortune 500 companies, they aren't just 00:12:40.059 --> 00:12:42.480 hiring based on degrees. They're going to be 00:12:42.480 --> 00:12:45.820 hiring based on impact potential. They're going 00:12:45.820 --> 00:12:48.700 to want to hire analysts and strategists and 00:12:48.700 --> 00:12:51.590 project leaders. So these are going to be your 00:12:51.590 --> 00:12:54.029 candidates who sort of rise to the top. They're 00:12:54.029 --> 00:12:57.009 going to be the ones who have combined education 00:12:57.009 --> 00:13:00.909 and can execute projects. So let's talk about 00:13:00.909 --> 00:13:03.289 some more statistics here because these are really 00:13:03.289 --> 00:13:07.830 important and drive the point home. The 2024 00:13:07.830 --> 00:13:12.090 GMAC corporate recruiter survey says that 92 00:13:12.090 --> 00:13:15.269 % of global employers plan to hire MBA graduates 00:13:15.269 --> 00:13:18.710 this year. And the average US starting salary 00:13:18.710 --> 00:13:25.169 for MBA grads is 125K. So that's more than double 00:13:25.169 --> 00:13:29.330 that of bachelor's only candidates. So you see 00:13:29.330 --> 00:13:32.669 the gap there. It's kind of more of a canyon 00:13:32.669 --> 00:13:35.250 than a gap. And I know a lot of you are thinking, 00:13:35.470 --> 00:13:38.769 look, I need a break. I can't really afford grad 00:13:38.769 --> 00:13:40.690 school right now. I don't know if I'm ready. 00:13:41.250 --> 00:13:44.950 I get all of that. I really do. But let me offer 00:13:44.950 --> 00:13:49.629 you this. I don't want you to wait until you 00:13:49.610 --> 00:13:52.269 feel like you have it figured out, everything 00:13:52.269 --> 00:13:56.009 figured all out. You can work and you can pursue 00:13:56.009 --> 00:13:58.909 your masters. And that's what I did. When I finished 00:13:58.909 --> 00:14:02.549 my undergraduate degree at Mercer University, 00:14:03.169 --> 00:14:06.230 and a shout out to the Bears, Mercer Bears. I've 00:14:06.230 --> 00:14:10.350 seen a lot of graduation posts about my students 00:14:10.350 --> 00:14:13.649 who go there. But when I finished my undergraduate 00:14:13.649 --> 00:14:15.570 degree, I didn't take a year off. I wanted to. 00:14:15.570 --> 00:14:18.929 I was tired. But a few months before graduation, 00:14:19.009 --> 00:14:23.149 I attended an MBA information session that they 00:14:23.149 --> 00:14:25.610 had on campus. And I'm really glad that I went 00:14:25.610 --> 00:14:28.029 to that because it broke everything down. They 00:14:28.029 --> 00:14:30.830 talked about the various concentrations that 00:14:30.830 --> 00:14:33.730 I could take with my MBA. They talked about the 00:14:33.730 --> 00:14:36.490 timeline, how long it was gonna take, the cost 00:14:36.490 --> 00:14:38.970 associated with it, and then also the value of 00:14:38.970 --> 00:14:42.710 pursuing and achieving your MBA. So at the end 00:14:42.710 --> 00:14:45.509 of that information session, I walked out of 00:14:45.509 --> 00:14:49.950 that room knowing that, wow, if I want to stand 00:14:49.950 --> 00:14:51.809 out in this job market, I really need to keep 00:14:51.809 --> 00:14:55.769 going. So I did. I took probably two months off. 00:14:56.230 --> 00:15:00.250 I took just enough time to catch my breath. And 00:15:00.250 --> 00:15:03.009 then I enrolled in grad school. I pursued my 00:15:03.009 --> 00:15:07.029 MBA full -time. I also worked part -time. But 00:15:07.029 --> 00:15:11.009 I put my focus on my MBA. I was also running 00:15:11.009 --> 00:15:14.259 my own tax prep business, Metro Tax Group. which 00:15:14.259 --> 00:15:17.679 I still have. And I was also delivering for Jason's 00:15:17.679 --> 00:15:20.220 Deli, which, by the way, was one of my favorite 00:15:20.220 --> 00:15:24.759 jobs. It really was. Most of my deliveries were 00:15:24.759 --> 00:15:28.740 to corporate boardrooms. And I remember thinking 00:15:28.740 --> 00:15:31.320 one day, I'm just not going to be delivering 00:15:31.320 --> 00:15:32.720 to these boardrooms. I'm going to be sitting 00:15:32.720 --> 00:15:36.899 at the head of the table. And that vision actually 00:15:36.899 --> 00:15:40.220 came to pass. So it just reminds me of that scripture, 00:15:40.299 --> 00:15:43.659 as a man thinketh, so is he. I believe that. 00:15:43.710 --> 00:15:46.710 And the Lord eventually blessed it to manifest. 00:15:47.210 --> 00:15:50.070 So this is what I'm going to tell you. Don't 00:15:50.070 --> 00:15:54.870 despise the day of small beginnings. OK, don't 00:15:54.870 --> 00:15:58.470 buy into the pressure of image and comparison. 00:15:59.389 --> 00:16:03.649 If you've got to Uber or Barton stock shelves 00:16:03.649 --> 00:16:06.210 at Target, do whatever you got to do to buy yourself 00:16:06.210 --> 00:16:08.970 the flexibility and the focus that you're going 00:16:08.970 --> 00:16:12.149 to need to advance your education. Because trust 00:16:12.149 --> 00:16:16.159 me, it will. pay off. Now, like I said, you can 00:16:16.159 --> 00:16:19.480 pursue your degree full -time, part -time. Most 00:16:19.480 --> 00:16:22.080 people do it online now. That's fine. There's 00:16:22.080 --> 00:16:26.039 also fellowships that you can leverage. There 00:16:26.039 --> 00:16:29.279 are employer tuition reimbursement programs. 00:16:30.120 --> 00:16:32.100 There are a bunch of scholarships. The point 00:16:32.100 --> 00:16:35.059 is, if you're intentional and if you move strategically, 00:16:35.940 --> 00:16:38.759 then you can elevate in your academic career 00:16:38.759 --> 00:16:42.039 without drowning in a lot of debt. So I'll say 00:16:42.039 --> 00:16:44.960 it one more time, if the bachelor's degree is 00:16:44.960 --> 00:16:47.759 something that you're graduating with now, then 00:16:47.759 --> 00:16:50.320 that's a strong start. But don't let it be your 00:16:50.320 --> 00:16:52.840 finish line. If you want to future proof your 00:16:52.840 --> 00:16:56.460 career, if you want to go from applicant to asset, 00:16:57.100 --> 00:17:00.860 if you want to lead instead of just labor, then 00:17:00.860 --> 00:17:03.679 I really want you to consider enrolling in a 00:17:03.679 --> 00:17:07.299 master's program this fall. So don't just enter 00:17:07.299 --> 00:17:10.710 the workforce, elevate in the workforce. Because 00:17:10.710 --> 00:17:13.750 we're in a world where everyone's got a degree 00:17:13.750 --> 00:17:16.470 now. So what are you going to do to make yourself 00:17:16.470 --> 00:17:20.349 stand out? All right, let's talk about the reality 00:17:20.349 --> 00:17:22.990 of the market that you guys are walking into. 00:17:23.089 --> 00:17:24.869 I wish I could tell you that everything is going 00:17:24.869 --> 00:17:27.829 to be green lights and signing bonuses, but it's 00:17:27.829 --> 00:17:31.630 just not going to be that. The truth is you're 00:17:31.630 --> 00:17:33.710 going to be stepping into what Forbes magazine 00:17:33.710 --> 00:17:39.230 called a frozen job market. And that really sucks. 00:17:39.529 --> 00:17:43.009 I've been reading some reporting trends. A lot 00:17:43.009 --> 00:17:46.829 of the hiring for the entry level positions are 00:17:46.829 --> 00:17:50.109 slowing down across all the industries. And it 00:17:50.109 --> 00:17:53.109 just seems like every day more and more employers 00:17:53.109 --> 00:17:56.349 are slashing job postings. They're delaying onboarding. 00:17:56.490 --> 00:17:59.329 They're consolidating roles. And unfortunately, 00:17:59.410 --> 00:18:02.069 that's hitting you guys the hardest, the recent 00:18:02.069 --> 00:18:07.349 graduates. Let's talk real quickly about salary 00:18:07.349 --> 00:18:11.769 shock. Okay, so for years, the standard narrative 00:18:11.769 --> 00:18:15.650 in the industry has been, look, go get your college 00:18:15.650 --> 00:18:19.670 degree, secure your bag, but it's just a lot 00:18:19.670 --> 00:18:24.269 different now. Forbes is averaging that entry 00:18:24.269 --> 00:18:27.089 -level salaries are declining and will continue 00:18:27.089 --> 00:18:29.309 to decline over the years, especially in non 00:18:29.309 --> 00:18:32.950 -STEM majors. And in a lot of industries, wages 00:18:32.950 --> 00:18:36.490 are flatlining, even though the job descriptions 00:18:36.490 --> 00:18:39.869 and what you're expected to do the job expectations 00:18:39.869 --> 00:18:42.769 are growing heavier and more weighed down. And 00:18:42.769 --> 00:18:44.230 here's the kicker, a lot of these so -called 00:18:44.230 --> 00:18:47.809 entry -level jobs, they require two to three 00:18:47.809 --> 00:18:51.089 years of experience. So if you're fresh out of 00:18:51.089 --> 00:18:53.170 college, you got your degree in hand, you're 00:18:53.170 --> 00:18:56.329 ready to hit the ground running, it's like already 00:18:56.329 --> 00:18:59.329 the system's telling you you're not enough. You 00:18:59.329 --> 00:19:01.509 know, it's what I call the entry -level paradox. 00:19:01.569 --> 00:19:05.329 You need experience to get the job, but you need 00:19:05.329 --> 00:19:09.190 the job to get the experience. And see, here's 00:19:09.190 --> 00:19:11.809 where things get even more real, because the 00:19:11.809 --> 00:19:15.309 job market is so iffy and tight right now. A 00:19:15.309 --> 00:19:18.029 lot of these entry -level jobs, which are meant 00:19:18.029 --> 00:19:20.509 for the recent grads, they're being scooped up 00:19:20.509 --> 00:19:24.569 by people who already have their MBAs and already 00:19:24.569 --> 00:19:26.750 have several years of work experience under their 00:19:26.750 --> 00:19:29.769 belt. You see, normally those candidates wouldn't 00:19:29.769 --> 00:19:32.589 even be applying for those jobs. They'd be applying 00:19:32.589 --> 00:19:37.349 for mid -level or leadership roles. But in this... 00:19:37.390 --> 00:19:40.089 weird economy that we're in, they're just trying 00:19:40.089 --> 00:19:43.630 to get in anywhere they can. So if that means 00:19:43.630 --> 00:19:45.950 taking a step down just to get their foot in 00:19:45.950 --> 00:19:49.990 the door, that's what they're gonna do. And so 00:19:49.990 --> 00:19:53.329 that's gonna create this saturated market like 00:19:53.329 --> 00:19:55.930 we're seeing now. You know, there's a lot of 00:19:55.930 --> 00:19:58.990 overqualified applicants that are competing for 00:19:58.990 --> 00:20:02.589 jobs that you're supposed to be getting. And 00:20:02.589 --> 00:20:04.990 the companies... They're just doing the math, 00:20:05.130 --> 00:20:06.869 and they're saying, hey, well, listen, why not 00:20:06.869 --> 00:20:10.269 hire the MBA with the three, four, five years 00:20:10.269 --> 00:20:12.430 of experience instead of the new grad that doesn't 00:20:12.430 --> 00:20:16.069 have any job experience at all, right? So it's 00:20:16.069 --> 00:20:19.410 not personal. It's just all about survival. The 00:20:19.410 --> 00:20:21.829 applicant is just trying to secure a place in 00:20:21.829 --> 00:20:23.910 the company. They're trying to get a job. They're 00:20:23.910 --> 00:20:27.829 trying to hope to level up from the inside. And 00:20:27.829 --> 00:20:29.309 the employer, they're just trying to get the 00:20:29.309 --> 00:20:32.359 most value for their money. Because their point 00:20:32.359 --> 00:20:34.579 is, if they can fill an entry -level position 00:20:34.579 --> 00:20:38.359 with a well -qualified MBA candidate, you know, 00:20:38.539 --> 00:20:40.359 paying the same entry -level salary, then that's 00:20:40.359 --> 00:20:44.619 a huge savings for the company. But for the recent 00:20:44.619 --> 00:20:47.079 grads, it kind of sucks. It creates a nightmare 00:20:47.079 --> 00:20:50.660 scenario. Because you've done what everyone has 00:20:50.660 --> 00:20:53.279 told you to do. You've checked the boxes, right? 00:20:54.039 --> 00:20:57.299 But now you're... sort of standing in line and 00:20:57.299 --> 00:20:59.500 it just keeps getting longer and longer and the 00:20:59.500 --> 00:21:03.019 bar keeps moving higher and higher. So that's 00:21:03.019 --> 00:21:05.779 why I say don't just meet the minimum requirement, 00:21:05.960 --> 00:21:10.200 beat it. And that underscores why credentials 00:21:10.200 --> 00:21:14.160 like your master's and your certifications and 00:21:14.160 --> 00:21:17.339 your internships, they just aren't bonus points 00:21:17.339 --> 00:21:20.299 anymore. They're almost becoming barriers to 00:21:20.299 --> 00:21:22.400 entry, things that you have to have in order 00:21:22.400 --> 00:21:26.980 to be competitive. So that's what I said earlier. 00:21:27.299 --> 00:21:30.779 Don't despise the day of small beginnings. Right 00:21:30.779 --> 00:21:34.119 now, it may make sense for some of you to go 00:21:34.119 --> 00:21:38.700 after that more low -hanging fruit, the opportunities 00:21:38.700 --> 00:21:41.759 that other people think that they're too good 00:21:41.759 --> 00:21:45.799 for, right? Because pride is not going to pay 00:21:45.799 --> 00:21:48.299 the bills. It's not going to pay your tuition. 00:21:50.359 --> 00:21:52.000 You know, I know some folks probably looked at 00:21:52.000 --> 00:21:53.740 me sideways back in the day and was thinking, 00:21:53.740 --> 00:21:56.539 why is this dude delivering sandwiches for Jason's 00:21:56.539 --> 00:21:59.980 Deli? But, you know, forget them. I love that 00:21:59.980 --> 00:22:03.440 job. And, you know, I had an end goal in mind 00:22:03.440 --> 00:22:07.200 and I was making solid money back then. You know, 00:22:07.200 --> 00:22:10.480 on a bad day, I brought home $100 cash and that's 00:22:10.480 --> 00:22:13.240 not including my hourly pay. And I ate pretty 00:22:13.240 --> 00:22:16.119 good. You know, Jason's Deli kept me fed. It 00:22:16.119 --> 00:22:19.660 kept me focused. And I was able to. fund my way 00:22:19.660 --> 00:22:22.599 all the way through grad school. So just let 00:22:22.599 --> 00:22:24.440 people talk all the noise that they want they 00:22:24.440 --> 00:22:26.680 want to talk. You know what's important is that 00:22:26.680 --> 00:22:29.039 you support yourself you pay your way through 00:22:29.039 --> 00:22:32.000 your MBA program and when it's time for you to 00:22:32.000 --> 00:22:36.519 pivot and level up you'll do that. You know no 00:22:36.519 --> 00:22:40.460 one job is is your identity. You know some jobs 00:22:40.460 --> 00:22:43.500 especially the ones that you get right out of 00:22:43.500 --> 00:22:47.220 college those are vehicles they're going to serve 00:22:47.220 --> 00:22:50.230 their purpose for an intended period of time 00:22:50.230 --> 00:22:52.430 and you know you'd be grateful for it and you 00:22:52.430 --> 00:22:54.750 just when it's time for the season to be over 00:22:54.750 --> 00:22:58.009 you move up to the next thing but don't let anyone 00:22:58.009 --> 00:23:01.690 shame you for where you start especially if where 00:23:01.690 --> 00:23:03.869 you're headed is somewhere they could never go 00:23:03.869 --> 00:23:07.690 okay now let's pivot and talk about small businesses 00:23:07.690 --> 00:23:11.710 for just a moment because how they're faring 00:23:11.710 --> 00:23:14.069 in this economy right now is interesting because 00:23:14.069 --> 00:23:17.390 a lot of small businesses believe it or not that's 00:23:17.390 --> 00:23:23.049 where New opportunities for graduates were a 00:23:23.049 --> 00:23:26.410 lot of times, but opportunities with them are 00:23:26.410 --> 00:23:29.789 also starting to tighten up. I read a report 00:23:29.789 --> 00:23:32.390 a couple of days ago from the Boston Globe, and 00:23:32.390 --> 00:23:35.710 it kind of gives them more context to this. It's 00:23:35.710 --> 00:23:38.970 saying that the economy is still in recovery 00:23:38.970 --> 00:23:41.809 mode, and we've seen that. And it's really been 00:23:41.809 --> 00:23:45.210 in recovery mode since COVID -19. There were 00:23:45.210 --> 00:23:48.210 a lot of shutdowns, and like I said, tech layoffs. 00:23:48.410 --> 00:23:51.630 a lot of banking instability. So a lot of companies 00:23:51.630 --> 00:23:54.490 are still in this mode of cutting costs, looking 00:23:54.490 --> 00:23:57.890 for ways they can further cut costs. And unfortunately, 00:23:57.890 --> 00:24:01.529 that translates to a lot of hiring freezes and 00:24:01.529 --> 00:24:05.049 opting for more seasoned workers who can do more 00:24:05.049 --> 00:24:09.430 with less. And just a few more stats on this. 00:24:10.109 --> 00:24:14.430 According to Gusto's new hiring report, a lot 00:24:14.430 --> 00:24:18.089 of small businesses are hiring at a slower pace. 00:24:18.299 --> 00:24:21.759 And that's also because of inflation and automation 00:24:21.759 --> 00:24:25.500 and the economic uncertainty that's going on 00:24:25.500 --> 00:24:29.059 with the tariffs and other things. So many small 00:24:29.059 --> 00:24:32.559 businesses are choosing to automate what job 00:24:32.559 --> 00:24:35.500 positions they can. A lot of these administrative 00:24:35.500 --> 00:24:38.039 positions and junior roles, normally that would 00:24:38.039 --> 00:24:41.880 have went to you guys, but they're choosing to 00:24:41.880 --> 00:24:44.579 use AI and automate wherever they can instead 00:24:44.579 --> 00:24:48.039 of hiring people to fill those jobs. You know, 00:24:48.160 --> 00:24:51.660 so the takeaway is this, the job market, it just 00:24:51.660 --> 00:24:56.319 isn't competitive. It's cautious right now. Employers 00:24:56.319 --> 00:24:58.680 aren't hiring out of optimism like they used 00:24:58.680 --> 00:25:01.359 to. They're hiring right now out of necessity. 00:25:02.019 --> 00:25:04.720 What positions do they actually need to fill? 00:25:06.079 --> 00:25:08.859 So that means you'll need more than just your 00:25:08.859 --> 00:25:10.480 diploma to stand out. You're gonna need some 00:25:10.480 --> 00:25:14.359 type of strategy, okay? Now, let's talk about 00:25:14.359 --> 00:25:17.920 what employers want versus what graduates expect 00:25:17.920 --> 00:25:21.099 because that's where things get kind of a little 00:25:21.099 --> 00:25:24.579 bit more interesting. There was another survey 00:25:24.579 --> 00:25:28.599 that I read by Charles Rushell, and it was talking 00:25:28.599 --> 00:25:32.759 about a growing gap between what Gen Z graduates 00:25:32.759 --> 00:25:35.880 want from their careers and what employers are 00:25:35.880 --> 00:25:38.640 actually offering. So I want to break this down 00:25:38.640 --> 00:25:39.980 a little bit because I noticed that there was 00:25:39.980 --> 00:25:44.400 a huge disconnect and disparity here. Gen Z, 00:25:45.099 --> 00:25:49.259 and I love this about y 'all. I really do. But 00:25:49.259 --> 00:25:52.980 you guys prioritize mental health and work -life 00:25:52.980 --> 00:25:55.880 balance and flexibility. You also want to feel 00:25:55.880 --> 00:25:58.880 like your work has a purpose. You know, you want 00:25:58.880 --> 00:26:01.779 your job to mean something. You want space to 00:26:01.779 --> 00:26:04.180 breathe. You want to feel like you're doing more 00:26:04.180 --> 00:26:08.160 than just being a cog in a machine. But on the 00:26:08.160 --> 00:26:11.039 other side, on the employer side, They're still 00:26:11.039 --> 00:26:15.279 operating by that old playbook. They want reliability 00:26:15.279 --> 00:26:19.240 over flexibility. They value experience over 00:26:19.240 --> 00:26:22.440 what your potential is. And they really want 00:26:22.440 --> 00:26:25.539 someone with a solid work ethic versus someone 00:26:25.539 --> 00:26:28.960 who is concerned about their wellness and their 00:26:28.960 --> 00:26:31.819 mental health. And so none of these values are 00:26:31.819 --> 00:26:35.099 really inherently bad, but what happens with 00:26:35.099 --> 00:26:37.859 this disparity here, it creates this friction 00:26:37.859 --> 00:26:41.519 between young professionals who are entering 00:26:41.519 --> 00:26:45.579 the workforce, who are expecting mentorship, 00:26:45.880 --> 00:26:48.700 they're expecting coaching, they're looking for 00:26:48.700 --> 00:26:52.420 collaboration, but instead they're running into 00:26:52.420 --> 00:26:57.099 this steel rigid hierarchy and these expectations 00:26:57.099 --> 00:27:01.400 that are unrealistic. And there's also a huge 00:27:01.400 --> 00:27:06.940 expectation gap when it comes to salary. So understandably, 00:27:07.000 --> 00:27:08.599 a lot of graduates are coming out of college 00:27:08.599 --> 00:27:12.920 expecting salaries in a range of 60, 70, 80 ,000, 00:27:12.920 --> 00:27:15.660 maybe even 90 ,000 starting out, especially if 00:27:15.660 --> 00:27:17.980 they've taken on a lot of student loan debt. 00:27:18.740 --> 00:27:21.339 But what I'm seeing is that the market is not 00:27:21.339 --> 00:27:26.380 necessarily reflecting that. Outside of tech 00:27:26.380 --> 00:27:29.259 and finance, it may be a little different, but 00:27:29.259 --> 00:27:34.279 typically, offers are coming in around 40, 50, 00:27:35.099 --> 00:27:39.220 up to the $60 ,000 range. And that's even if 00:27:39.220 --> 00:27:42.700 you're fortunate enough to get an offer. Okay, 00:27:42.720 --> 00:27:44.880 so like I said, there's a disconnect there. It's 00:27:44.880 --> 00:27:47.819 leading to a lot of disillusionment, really. 00:27:49.160 --> 00:27:52.339 And that's not a good thing because what's happening 00:27:52.339 --> 00:27:54.680 is that you're finding yourself starting to second 00:27:54.680 --> 00:27:58.700 -guess yourself and your choices. You'll be thinking 00:27:58.700 --> 00:28:01.039 things like, did I make the right choice in the 00:28:01.039 --> 00:28:03.710 first place? Did I pick the right major? You 00:28:03.710 --> 00:28:06.690 know, is going to college even worth it? You 00:28:06.690 --> 00:28:10.029 know, this feeling that you're being set up to 00:28:10.029 --> 00:28:14.450 fail. So I want to reassure you, you're not wrong 00:28:14.450 --> 00:28:17.910 for wanting more or expecting more. You just 00:28:17.910 --> 00:28:20.890 need to learn how to navigate this gap in between 00:28:20.890 --> 00:28:24.269 what your expectations are and then what the 00:28:24.269 --> 00:28:28.210 current realities of today's workplace are. And 00:28:28.210 --> 00:28:30.589 so that's the whole goal of this episode this 00:28:30.589 --> 00:28:33.049 week is to sort of help you bridge that gap. 00:28:33.690 --> 00:28:35.549 All right. So let's continue to explore this 00:28:35.549 --> 00:28:40.150 topic from the employer standpoint. Because it's 00:28:40.150 --> 00:28:42.789 really important to understand how the recruiters 00:28:42.789 --> 00:28:45.970 are thinking, the people that are on your hiring 00:28:45.970 --> 00:28:48.670 teams. How are they approaching hiring in this 00:28:48.670 --> 00:28:52.960 current market? According to Forbes, Nearly 90 00:28:52.960 --> 00:28:56.079 % of employers say that they are reluctant to 00:28:56.079 --> 00:29:01.099 hire recent graduates who lack experience. That's 00:29:01.099 --> 00:29:03.960 a really tough truth because, like I mentioned 00:29:03.960 --> 00:29:06.180 earlier, how are you going to get experience 00:29:06.180 --> 00:29:09.359 if no one is willing to give you experience? 00:29:10.579 --> 00:29:12.339 So that's one of those things where, you know, 00:29:12.420 --> 00:29:15.440 your degree will get you in the door maybe, but 00:29:15.440 --> 00:29:18.380 you're going to have to hustle to make sure that 00:29:18.380 --> 00:29:21.609 you get hired and get placed somewhere. My good 00:29:21.609 --> 00:29:25.069 friend, Reggie Bullock, has a really dynamic 00:29:25.069 --> 00:29:27.329 book called It's All About the Hustle. I really 00:29:27.329 --> 00:29:30.450 recommend you read that. In it, he talks about 00:29:30.450 --> 00:29:35.029 developing a mindset of achievement, going after 00:29:35.029 --> 00:29:37.230 the things you want in life, and harnessing the 00:29:37.230 --> 00:29:39.230 energy that's required for you to be successful. 00:29:39.450 --> 00:29:43.690 So it's a good read. But in terms of what the 00:29:43.690 --> 00:29:45.730 employers are looking for, let me just sort of 00:29:45.730 --> 00:29:50.259 translate what they're meaning here. To get that 00:29:50.259 --> 00:29:54.119 experience that you may be lacking and to, you 00:29:54.119 --> 00:29:57.059 know, be on par with your contemporaries, you're 00:29:57.059 --> 00:30:00.700 going to have to volunteer, you know. Volunteer 00:30:00.700 --> 00:30:05.059 and offer your services pro bono if you need 00:30:05.059 --> 00:30:07.680 to just to build some experience. You can start 00:30:07.680 --> 00:30:11.319 a blog. You can start a special project or even 00:30:11.319 --> 00:30:14.380 start a business, you know. Anything to give 00:30:14.380 --> 00:30:18.730 you a track record of performance. Like I said 00:30:18.730 --> 00:30:21.809 before, there are plenty of internships and freelance 00:30:21.809 --> 00:30:24.910 opportunities that will enable you to build a 00:30:24.910 --> 00:30:28.710 portfolio. You can even join communities and, 00:30:28.710 --> 00:30:31.329 you know, attend different webinars and get certifications 00:30:31.329 --> 00:30:36.630 that will complement the knowledge that you, 00:30:36.630 --> 00:30:39.869 you know, got when you were in college. So the 00:30:39.869 --> 00:30:42.190 point is just to do whatever you have to do to 00:30:42.190 --> 00:30:45.690 manufacture momentum. because if you're waiting 00:30:45.690 --> 00:30:48.269 on permission in today's market, you're just 00:30:48.269 --> 00:30:52.109 gonna be unemployed and just overlooked really. 00:30:52.549 --> 00:30:54.670 So the point that I'm driving at is that your 00:30:54.670 --> 00:30:59.809 degree is just a baseline, okay? So you got to 00:30:59.809 --> 00:31:02.450 think about what else are you bringing to the 00:31:02.450 --> 00:31:04.549 table. And if no one has handed you a roadmap 00:31:04.549 --> 00:31:09.089 on how to fill that gap between graduation and 00:31:09.089 --> 00:31:11.809 being ready for this job market, then like I 00:31:11.809 --> 00:31:15.279 said, this is what this episode is about. So 00:31:15.279 --> 00:31:18.240 I'm going to give you a set of tools that can 00:31:18.240 --> 00:31:23.000 help you in this regard. Maybe look into exploring 00:31:23.000 --> 00:31:27.220 some applied learning platforms like Forage where 00:31:27.220 --> 00:31:30.859 you can complete some real world business scenarios 00:31:30.859 --> 00:31:35.380 that come from top companies. A lot of companies 00:31:35.380 --> 00:31:38.779 look at this type of thing and if they see where 00:31:38.779 --> 00:31:45.250 you have experience with helping to resolve problems 00:31:45.250 --> 00:31:47.849 that they see in their business on a regular 00:31:47.849 --> 00:31:50.329 basis, then that's going to set you apart from 00:31:50.329 --> 00:31:53.089 your contemporaries. You can also use things 00:31:53.089 --> 00:31:56.869 like Coursera and Google career certificates, 00:31:57.630 --> 00:31:59.970 LinkedIn learning. All of these will help you 00:31:59.970 --> 00:32:03.369 gain some practical industry -recognized skills 00:32:03.369 --> 00:32:06.849 from project management to all types of stuff. 00:32:07.190 --> 00:32:08.670 I know a lot of you are probably thinking, look, 00:32:08.690 --> 00:32:10.529 I just got out of school. I'm not trying to take 00:32:10.529 --> 00:32:13.980 any classes right now. I understand that. I really 00:32:13.980 --> 00:32:16.519 do. When I finished my doctorate, I didn't even 00:32:16.519 --> 00:32:19.720 want to open my laptop, let alone step into a 00:32:19.720 --> 00:32:22.799 classroom. But you got to do what you got to 00:32:22.799 --> 00:32:25.279 do to differentiate yourself in this current 00:32:25.279 --> 00:32:28.160 job market. So just hang in there with me and 00:32:28.160 --> 00:32:29.720 take note of some of the stuff that I'm telling 00:32:29.720 --> 00:32:33.380 you. If you've heard of handshake .com, you may 00:32:33.380 --> 00:32:36.559 want to create a profile on that platform. It's 00:32:36.559 --> 00:32:38.940 a job platform that's built specifically for 00:32:38.940 --> 00:32:42.640 college students and new graduates. And if you 00:32:42.640 --> 00:32:48.819 have skills like graphic design or if you want 00:32:48.819 --> 00:32:51.160 to get into consulting, you can offer your services 00:32:51.160 --> 00:32:54.559 on Fiverr or Upwork and start already building 00:32:54.559 --> 00:32:57.900 a portfolio that you can show employers and demonstrate 00:32:57.900 --> 00:33:01.180 on your resume. But just remember that you're 00:33:01.180 --> 00:33:04.160 going to have to hustle. Hustle is a multiplier. 00:33:04.319 --> 00:33:06.559 It's going to build your confidence. It's going 00:33:06.559 --> 00:33:09.859 to build your credibility. It'll help you build 00:33:09.859 --> 00:33:12.769 connections. And then all of that combined is 00:33:12.769 --> 00:33:14.609 going to give you a momentum. And that's going 00:33:14.609 --> 00:33:16.950 to go a long way in making sure that you get 00:33:16.950 --> 00:33:20.450 noticed by your hiring managers and your recruiters. 00:33:21.390 --> 00:33:25.430 And it's just a tough market. It's a tough market 00:33:25.430 --> 00:33:28.670 out there. The competition is really real. But 00:33:28.670 --> 00:33:32.329 your options are as well. But you have to be 00:33:32.329 --> 00:33:35.269 willing to work towards those and make yourself 00:33:35.269 --> 00:33:38.859 more competitive. All right, we're going to pause 00:33:38.859 --> 00:33:41.099 right here and take a quick commercial break 00:33:41.099 --> 00:33:43.279 and hear a word from our sponsor for this week's 00:33:43.279 --> 00:33:45.299 episode. But stick with me because when we come 00:33:45.299 --> 00:33:47.000 back, we're going to dive into what to do when 00:33:47.000 --> 00:33:49.940 the job market doesn't meet your expectations. 00:33:50.460 --> 00:33:53.180 And I'll also share results from a recent poll 00:33:53.180 --> 00:33:55.259 that we did where I asked the following question. 00:33:55.720 --> 00:33:57.859 If you could go back and give your younger self 00:33:57.859 --> 00:34:00.980 advice about your first job, what would it be? 00:34:01.839 --> 00:34:03.759 So we got some really good responses from that. 00:34:03.930 --> 00:34:05.930 Some of the answers might even surprise you, 00:34:05.990 --> 00:34:08.230 so be sure to stick around. We'll be right back. 00:34:11.050 --> 00:34:13.610 All right, Class of 2025, let's talk real quick. 00:34:14.110 --> 00:34:16.210 If you're out here applying for jobs, getting 00:34:16.210 --> 00:34:19.309 ghosted, overwhelmed, or just straight up tired, 00:34:19.650 --> 00:34:21.989 hey, I've been there. The search can feel like 00:34:21.989 --> 00:34:25.010 a full -time job with no paycheck. That's why 00:34:25.010 --> 00:34:28.389 I always recommend indeed .com to folks just 00:34:28.389 --> 00:34:31.849 starting out. It's simple, clean, and gets straight 00:34:31.849 --> 00:34:34.940 to the point. You set your filters, upload your 00:34:34.940 --> 00:34:38.579 resume once, and you're off. No fluff, no hoops, 00:34:38.960 --> 00:34:41.320 just jobs that actually match what you're looking 00:34:41.320 --> 00:34:44.739 for. And listen, don't let the job boards intimidate 00:34:44.739 --> 00:34:46.920 you. You don't need it all figured out to get 00:34:46.920 --> 00:34:50.079 started. Just take the first step. If you're 00:34:50.079 --> 00:34:52.940 ready to stop scrolling and start applying, check 00:34:52.940 --> 00:34:56.400 out Indeed .com. It helped me, a lot of others, 00:34:56.719 --> 00:34:59.760 and I know it'll help you too. Log on to Indeed 00:34:59.760 --> 00:35:05.929 .com today. Hi, this is Rhea Fry. Check out my 00:35:05.929 --> 00:35:09.349 new book, Until I Find You, available now wherever 00:35:09.349 --> 00:35:12.369 books are sold. You can learn more at RheaFry 00:35:12.369 --> 00:35:16.570 .com. That's R -E -A -F -R -E -Y .com. And you 00:35:16.570 --> 00:35:19.130 are listening to the Artist First Radio Network. 00:35:20.389 --> 00:35:23.030 You asked for it and now it's official. Live 00:35:23.030 --> 00:35:25.949 with Dr. Andre Jerry is moving to a brand new 00:35:25.949 --> 00:35:29.389 weekly time slot. Join me every Wednesday at 00:35:29.389 --> 00:35:32.510 6 p .m. Eastern for your weekly fix of news, 00:35:33.150 --> 00:35:35.769 entertainment, self -improvement, and powerful 00:35:35.769 --> 00:35:39.150 conversations with entrepreneurs, artists, authors, 00:35:39.550 --> 00:35:41.829 and business leaders. I'll be bringing you the 00:35:41.829 --> 00:35:44.250 hottest topics, thought -provoking discussions, 00:35:44.769 --> 00:35:47.170 and exclusive interviews all happening live, 00:35:47.349 --> 00:35:50.280 only on the Artist First Radio Network. So mark 00:35:50.280 --> 00:35:52.860 your calendars and tune in every Wednesday at 00:35:52.860 --> 00:35:55.460 6 p .m. Eastern because you don't want to miss 00:35:55.460 --> 00:35:59.940 Live with Dr. Andre Jerry. With Dr. Andre Jerry. 00:36:03.199 --> 00:36:06.179 Welcome back to Live with Dr. Andre Jerry. If 00:36:06.179 --> 00:36:08.480 you're just tuning in, we've been talking about 00:36:08.480 --> 00:36:11.500 the real challenges facing the class of 2025 00:36:11.500 --> 00:36:15.559 from the frozen job market and the salary shock 00:36:15.559 --> 00:36:19.320 to the growing gap between what grads expect. 00:36:19.559 --> 00:36:23.119 and what employers are actually offering. Now 00:36:23.119 --> 00:36:25.960 that we've unpacked sort of what I call the storm, 00:36:26.039 --> 00:36:28.719 let's shift gears a bit. In this next segment, 00:36:28.719 --> 00:36:31.780 I'm gonna talk about how you can navigate through 00:36:31.780 --> 00:36:35.320 this storm with strategy, survival, and self 00:36:35.320 --> 00:36:38.000 -discovery leading the way. So we're gonna talk 00:36:38.000 --> 00:36:40.699 about how to survive it and thrive in it. Now, 00:36:40.699 --> 00:36:44.099 earlier this week, I asked a question to my network, 00:36:44.559 --> 00:36:46.800 and I gotta say, some of the responses were honest 00:36:46.800 --> 00:36:50.219 and insightful, and really relevant to what's 00:36:50.219 --> 00:36:54.619 happening. So the question I asked was, if you 00:36:54.619 --> 00:36:57.280 could go back and give your younger self one 00:36:57.280 --> 00:37:00.800 piece of advice about your first job, what would 00:37:00.800 --> 00:37:04.239 it be? So here is what a few of our listeners 00:37:04.239 --> 00:37:06.840 had to say. This first comment is from Tasha 00:37:06.840 --> 00:37:10.139 G. She's a marketing director out of Atlanta. 00:37:10.260 --> 00:37:13.079 She said, I would tell myself to stop trying 00:37:13.079 --> 00:37:16.460 to impress everyone and start learning the business. 00:37:16.710 --> 00:37:20.090 Too many of us focus on looking busy or trying 00:37:20.090 --> 00:37:23.389 to be liked when the real power is in understanding 00:37:23.389 --> 00:37:28.969 how the organization actually works. And I really 00:37:28.969 --> 00:37:32.550 appreciate that comment, Tasha. Definitely focus 00:37:32.550 --> 00:37:35.530 on understanding why things happen, how decisions 00:37:35.530 --> 00:37:38.849 are made, and who really holds the influence 00:37:38.849 --> 00:37:41.750 at your job. You know, that's a good point. Learn 00:37:41.750 --> 00:37:44.010 the system and learn how to move through it. 00:37:44.429 --> 00:37:50.670 Okay, comment number two from Michael R, HR consultant 00:37:50.670 --> 00:37:53.150 out of Chicago, Illinois. All right, he says, 00:37:53.170 --> 00:37:56.130 negotiate your salary, even if it's your first 00:37:56.130 --> 00:37:59.550 job. I didn't, and I spent three years trying 00:37:59.550 --> 00:38:02.550 to catch up. The company didn't undervalue me, 00:38:02.670 --> 00:38:05.570 I undervalued myself. I've been there as well. 00:38:07.010 --> 00:38:10.190 And Mike, thank you for that comment. He's exactly 00:38:10.190 --> 00:38:14.179 right. have to set the tone for your future earnings. 00:38:14.659 --> 00:38:17.800 So I know you may feel like you're in a lesser 00:38:17.800 --> 00:38:20.119 position because you're new to the workforce, 00:38:20.340 --> 00:38:24.260 you're new on the scene, and you're just graduating. 00:38:24.679 --> 00:38:29.239 But always negotiate your salary. It may feel 00:38:29.239 --> 00:38:33.679 uncomfortable negotiating. I still am uncomfortable 00:38:33.679 --> 00:38:37.840 negotiating my salary on some things. But being 00:38:38.090 --> 00:38:41.090 discomfort is way better than being underpaid. 00:38:41.489 --> 00:38:44.429 So just do your research. Research what the average 00:38:44.429 --> 00:38:48.170 salary is for that position. And just know what 00:38:48.170 --> 00:38:51.889 your number is. And be firm about it, but also 00:38:51.889 --> 00:38:55.210 be respectful. Okay, comment number three. This 00:38:55.210 --> 00:38:59.349 is from Andrea S. And she's out of Washington, 00:38:59.349 --> 00:39:03.429 DC. Andrea says, take the job seriously, but 00:39:03.429 --> 00:39:06.610 not personally. Yes, yes. You'll get feedback. 00:39:06.750 --> 00:39:09.489 You'll make a lot of mistakes, and sometimes 00:39:09.489 --> 00:39:11.750 you'll be overlooked. It doesn't mean you're 00:39:11.750 --> 00:39:14.929 a failure, it means you're learning. That's good 00:39:14.929 --> 00:39:17.630 wisdom right there. You know, a lot of you guys 00:39:17.630 --> 00:39:20.909 are gonna be coming in with, you know, ambition, 00:39:21.130 --> 00:39:24.489 vision, and all of that's great, but just be 00:39:24.489 --> 00:39:26.510 sure you don't crumble the first time your idea 00:39:26.510 --> 00:39:30.369 gets rejected, or sometimes your idea will actually 00:39:30.369 --> 00:39:33.349 be on point, and it'll get usurped or stolen 00:39:33.349 --> 00:39:35.090 from someone else, and they'll get credit for 00:39:35.090 --> 00:39:39.510 it. All that type of stuff happens. But yeah, 00:39:39.769 --> 00:39:41.949 just try to hang in there and don't let that 00:39:41.949 --> 00:39:46.289 stuff get to you. Comment number four. This is 00:39:46.289 --> 00:39:50.590 from Jordan M. He is a tech product manager out 00:39:50.590 --> 00:39:54.050 of Austin, Texas. So Jordan says, I tell my younger 00:39:54.050 --> 00:39:57.730 self, build relationships early. I focus so much 00:39:57.730 --> 00:40:01.789 on tasks that I forgot people promote people. 00:40:03.389 --> 00:40:05.710 People promote people and people they know and 00:40:05.710 --> 00:40:08.710 trust. Your work ethic matters, but so does your 00:40:08.710 --> 00:40:11.469 visibility. And that's absolutely true. That's 00:40:11.469 --> 00:40:14.570 why I talk about networking a lot and building 00:40:14.570 --> 00:40:16.869 a connection. Just little things like having 00:40:16.869 --> 00:40:19.789 coffee with your coworkers and joining committees 00:40:19.789 --> 00:40:24.409 that are voluntary, showing up to events. You 00:40:24.409 --> 00:40:26.489 know, those relationships that you build early 00:40:26.489 --> 00:40:29.030 on in your career, they'll definitely open doors 00:40:29.030 --> 00:40:33.710 for you later. I found that myself. This next 00:40:33.710 --> 00:40:37.769 comment is from Danielle F. out of New York City. 00:40:38.289 --> 00:40:41.710 Danielle says, don't be afraid to leave. My first 00:40:41.710 --> 00:40:44.590 job taught me that just because it pays the bills 00:40:44.590 --> 00:40:47.130 doesn't mean it's worth your piece, yes. Learn 00:40:47.130 --> 00:40:49.489 the difference between quitting and choosing 00:40:49.489 --> 00:40:54.969 better. Yes, yes, yes, absolutely. Loyalty is 00:40:54.969 --> 00:40:59.409 good and all of that, but don't let it come at 00:40:59.409 --> 00:41:02.250 self -sacrifice. And remember, you guys are not 00:41:02.250 --> 00:41:04.289 married to your first employer. It's going to 00:41:04.289 --> 00:41:06.449 feel like, oh, I love this place. I'm going to 00:41:06.449 --> 00:41:08.889 retire here, and I'm going to work here for years. 00:41:09.170 --> 00:41:12.130 No, you're not. You're not. You're going to stay 00:41:12.130 --> 00:41:14.130 there long enough to learn, to grow, get what 00:41:14.130 --> 00:41:17.590 you need. But never be afraid to move on when 00:41:17.590 --> 00:41:21.349 it no longer serves you. OK? So yeah, that's 00:41:21.349 --> 00:41:23.889 some real talk from folks who have obviously 00:41:23.889 --> 00:41:25.750 been in your shoes. They've walked the walk. 00:41:26.369 --> 00:41:28.789 Thank you again, everyone who submitted comments 00:41:28.789 --> 00:41:32.250 to our graduates. Those are some gems. Those 00:41:32.250 --> 00:41:35.570 are, you know, good advice. And it sounds like 00:41:35.570 --> 00:41:37.269 it's some lived experience that's going to help 00:41:37.269 --> 00:41:39.949 a lot of you all. So thank you again for that. 00:41:40.309 --> 00:41:42.690 And if you're listening and you've got some advice 00:41:42.690 --> 00:41:45.449 or lessons you want to share, then use the hashtag 00:41:45.449 --> 00:41:49.750 LWDAJ. And just leave a comment on one of our 00:41:49.750 --> 00:41:52.710 social media platforms, or you can email me at 00:41:52.710 --> 00:41:57.110 livewithdrandrejerryatgmail .com. And who knows, 00:41:57.110 --> 00:41:58.969 I might just read your insight or your comment 00:41:58.969 --> 00:42:01.610 on an upcoming episode since we're doing weekly 00:42:01.610 --> 00:42:04.389 episodes now. So there'll be opportunities to 00:42:04.389 --> 00:42:07.130 highlight your thoughts and your comments on 00:42:07.130 --> 00:42:11.090 subsequent shows. All right, so like I said, 00:42:11.090 --> 00:42:12.949 we talked about the storm. We talked about the 00:42:12.949 --> 00:42:15.769 state of the job market. We talked about salary 00:42:15.769 --> 00:42:21.909 shock. What's next? Because, well, I know this 00:42:21.909 --> 00:42:26.860 economy is terrible. And here's the thing, we 00:42:26.860 --> 00:42:29.300 may not be able to control the economy or the 00:42:29.300 --> 00:42:32.500 hiring freezes or everything that's happening 00:42:32.500 --> 00:42:36.280 in government, but we can control how we respond 00:42:36.280 --> 00:42:40.119 to these things. So I'm gonna get into four survival 00:42:40.119 --> 00:42:42.900 strategies that will hopefully help you to stand 00:42:42.900 --> 00:42:46.500 out and stay in motion and start building momentum, 00:42:46.980 --> 00:42:51.780 okay? All right, so strategy number one. All 00:42:51.780 --> 00:42:54.239 right, so the number one thing employers... say 00:42:54.239 --> 00:42:57.000 that keeps them from hiring new graduates is 00:42:57.000 --> 00:43:01.659 a lack of experience. So your mission now, get 00:43:01.659 --> 00:43:05.360 experience any way you can. Volunteer, freelance 00:43:05.360 --> 00:43:09.539 on fiber, run some social media ads for your 00:43:09.539 --> 00:43:12.039 church if social media marketing is your niche. 00:43:12.460 --> 00:43:15.579 Like I said, start a blog or newsletter. You 00:43:15.579 --> 00:43:19.980 can tutor high school students, undergraduate 00:43:19.980 --> 00:43:22.550 students. You can help out with a family business, 00:43:22.730 --> 00:43:26.829 start your own business, but you really need 00:43:26.829 --> 00:43:29.369 to do something to fill in that gap if you don't 00:43:29.369 --> 00:43:31.929 have a solid work history to show on your resume. 00:43:32.250 --> 00:43:35.050 And don't sleep on being a volunteer, you know, 00:43:35.050 --> 00:43:37.130 because that's one of the best strategies that 00:43:37.130 --> 00:43:41.110 you can use to gain some solid hands -on work 00:43:41.110 --> 00:43:43.929 experience, especially if you're still building 00:43:43.929 --> 00:43:46.510 your professional foundation. So I don't care 00:43:46.510 --> 00:43:48.769 if it's a nonprofit, a local business, it could 00:43:48.769 --> 00:43:52.489 be a church. You could help a friend start their 00:43:52.489 --> 00:43:55.690 startup, but these volunteer roles can help you 00:43:55.690 --> 00:43:58.590 develop the skills, expand your network, and 00:43:58.590 --> 00:44:02.630 then prove that you have value in terms of your 00:44:02.630 --> 00:44:04.449 work performance and what you are bringing to 00:44:04.449 --> 00:44:06.409 the table. It's also going to give you something 00:44:06.409 --> 00:44:09.030 tangible to put on your resume, which brings 00:44:09.030 --> 00:44:12.329 me to my next point. So I mentioned this in a 00:44:12.329 --> 00:44:16.190 couple of shows back, but volunteerism is a great 00:44:16.190 --> 00:44:19.860 way to cover what otherwise would look like a 00:44:19.860 --> 00:44:25.320 gap in your employment. Gaps in employment can 00:44:25.320 --> 00:44:27.679 be a kiss of death on your resume if it's not 00:44:27.679 --> 00:44:32.039 addressed. But if you can say, well, during this 00:44:32.039 --> 00:44:35.380 time I volunteered as a communications assistant 00:44:35.380 --> 00:44:39.500 for XYZ company, or I help manage logistics for 00:44:39.500 --> 00:44:42.920 community food drive, you see how that sounds. 00:44:43.019 --> 00:44:45.739 You're no longer just unemployed. You're engaged. 00:44:45.840 --> 00:44:47.699 You're active in the community. You're growing. 00:44:48.670 --> 00:44:51.670 contributing. That's the type of energy that 00:44:51.670 --> 00:44:54.289 recruiters and employers are going to pay attention 00:44:54.289 --> 00:44:58.250 to. So stop worrying so much about whether it's 00:44:58.250 --> 00:45:00.889 the right experience and start just focusing 00:45:00.889 --> 00:45:03.909 on what I call stacking your reps. You don't 00:45:03.909 --> 00:45:05.670 need permission to build your portfolio, just 00:45:05.670 --> 00:45:09.289 take initiative, just get it done. All right, 00:45:09.469 --> 00:45:12.510 strategy number two, network like your life depends 00:45:12.510 --> 00:45:16.090 on it. Like one of the comments said, people 00:45:16.090 --> 00:45:20.019 hire people. not just paper. So if you're not 00:45:20.019 --> 00:45:22.699 actively working to build relationships and putting 00:45:22.699 --> 00:45:25.519 yourself out there, you're really at a disadvantage. 00:45:26.300 --> 00:45:28.900 You might have a great resume, but if nobody 00:45:28.900 --> 00:45:31.960 sees it, it's not going to matter. So start setting 00:45:31.960 --> 00:45:36.539 up informational interviews. Do 15 -minute virtual 00:45:36.539 --> 00:45:39.940 coffee chats with people who are doing the same 00:45:39.940 --> 00:45:42.500 type of work that you want to do. Slide into 00:45:42.500 --> 00:45:45.500 people's DMs on LinkedIn. A lot of people are 00:45:45.500 --> 00:45:50.219 open to you know, connecting on LinkedIn and 00:45:50.219 --> 00:45:53.619 being socially active and networking. So just 00:45:53.619 --> 00:45:56.920 ask thoughtful questions. Follow up. When someone 00:45:56.920 --> 00:45:59.019 adds you to their network, send them a brief 00:45:59.019 --> 00:46:01.099 note saying, hey, thank you so much for connecting. 00:46:01.519 --> 00:46:03.159 I look forward to connecting with you in the 00:46:03.159 --> 00:46:06.500 future or talking more about XYZ. You know, ask 00:46:06.500 --> 00:46:08.699 for insight on certain things that you're curious 00:46:08.699 --> 00:46:12.940 about. And don't forget mentorship. Find someone 00:46:12.940 --> 00:46:15.920 that's already a few steps ahead of you. someone 00:46:15.920 --> 00:46:18.940 has been exactly where you want to go. Ask them 00:46:18.940 --> 00:46:22.400 how they got there. Be coachable, and be consistent, 00:46:22.760 --> 00:46:26.000 and most of all, be curious. And I'll say this, 00:46:26.019 --> 00:46:30.679 if you're not on LinkedIn, fix that today, okay? 00:46:30.900 --> 00:46:33.239 Clean up your profile. Make sure your profile 00:46:33.239 --> 00:46:38.579 picture is not a selfie. Please, okay, add a 00:46:38.579 --> 00:46:42.420 professional headshot. Post your thoughts. Engage 00:46:42.420 --> 00:46:45.730 with people in your field about you know, topics 00:46:45.730 --> 00:46:48.170 that are related to your field of expertise. 00:46:49.110 --> 00:46:52.210 Because networking in 2025 is not gonna happen 00:46:52.210 --> 00:46:55.869 at the career fairs. It's all online now, okay? 00:46:56.550 --> 00:46:58.789 And I know we've all heard this, but your network 00:46:58.789 --> 00:47:02.030 is your network. So build it with intention. 00:47:03.389 --> 00:47:06.250 All right, strategy number three. Be flexible, 00:47:06.909 --> 00:47:09.769 not desperate. Okay, and I'll break this down. 00:47:09.889 --> 00:47:11.670 There's a big difference between being flexible 00:47:11.960 --> 00:47:13.920 and being desperate. When you're flexible, it 00:47:13.920 --> 00:47:16.579 means that you're going to be open to taking 00:47:16.579 --> 00:47:19.559 a detour if you need to. You know, even if it's 00:47:19.559 --> 00:47:22.320 not your dream job, like with me, the opportunity 00:47:22.320 --> 00:47:26.179 with Jason's Deli, that definitely wasn't my 00:47:26.179 --> 00:47:28.260 dream job. I enjoyed it a lot more than I thought 00:47:28.260 --> 00:47:32.380 I would. But that was a detour. But because I 00:47:32.380 --> 00:47:35.139 wasn't constantly in meetings, I didn't have 00:47:35.139 --> 00:47:40.119 a demanding work assignment. It gave me the flexibility 00:47:40.119 --> 00:47:43.869 I needed to study. and get through my MBA program 00:47:43.869 --> 00:47:47.610 quicker than I would if I would have went to 00:47:47.610 --> 00:47:49.489 for working for Blue Cross and Blue Shield or 00:47:49.489 --> 00:47:55.829 Aflac or something. So be flexible. And yeah, 00:47:56.030 --> 00:47:57.829 take that customer service role. It's going to 00:47:57.829 --> 00:48:01.630 help you build your people skills. Say yes to 00:48:01.630 --> 00:48:05.050 a short -term contract because that's going to 00:48:05.050 --> 00:48:07.210 help you get your foot in the door. So just be 00:48:07.210 --> 00:48:08.989 open to certain things and just ask yourself, 00:48:09.030 --> 00:48:11.940 what can I learn from this? What does this role? 00:48:12.900 --> 00:48:15.820 How is it going to develop my skills? And can 00:48:15.820 --> 00:48:18.420 this lead somewhere meaningful? How can I leverage 00:48:18.420 --> 00:48:21.019 this? So you don't need to start perfect. You 00:48:21.019 --> 00:48:23.940 just need to start in a strategic way. The first 00:48:23.940 --> 00:48:26.719 job is the launch pad, not a lifetime sentence. 00:48:26.880 --> 00:48:29.340 So don't get caught up in all of that. But just 00:48:29.340 --> 00:48:32.420 be purposeful. All right? Strategy number four, 00:48:32.639 --> 00:48:35.460 learn to sell yourself. Now, this one is big. 00:48:36.710 --> 00:48:39.610 Your value is not just your GPA. No one really 00:48:39.610 --> 00:48:43.409 cares about your GPA That's just the truth if 00:48:43.409 --> 00:48:48.050 you got 3 .5 or higher awesome Love it, you know, 00:48:48.110 --> 00:48:49.789 but it's gonna be your story. It's gonna be your 00:48:49.789 --> 00:48:53.989 skills. It's gonna be how you Articulate what 00:48:53.989 --> 00:48:57.130 you bring to the table in those interviews So 00:48:57.130 --> 00:49:00.710 you got to learn how to speak your wins? Not 00:49:00.710 --> 00:49:03.670 in a cringy braggy arrogant type of way, but 00:49:03.670 --> 00:49:07.340 just in a way that projects confidence So start 00:49:07.340 --> 00:49:09.440 with stuff like this. Talk about what problems 00:49:09.440 --> 00:49:13.480 you solved. What tools you used to solve those 00:49:13.480 --> 00:49:16.280 problems. What was the outcome? If you led a 00:49:16.280 --> 00:49:19.780 group project, say I coordinated a five -person 00:49:19.780 --> 00:49:21.820 team and I delivered a strategy presentation 00:49:21.820 --> 00:49:25.659 that earned client approval, X, Y, Z. If you 00:49:25.659 --> 00:49:28.239 worked in retail, you can say something like, 00:49:29.079 --> 00:49:31.119 I don't know, I managed customer issues. I tracked 00:49:31.119 --> 00:49:35.260 daily sales and consistently exceeded. upselling 00:49:35.260 --> 00:49:38.400 targets, things like that. Get your elevator 00:49:38.400 --> 00:49:41.820 speech down, 30 seconds, where you can quickly 00:49:41.820 --> 00:49:44.360 tell someone who you are, what you do, what you're 00:49:44.360 --> 00:49:47.420 all about, what's up next for you. So you're 00:49:47.420 --> 00:49:49.519 not just selling a person with a degree, you're 00:49:49.519 --> 00:49:53.679 selling the person behind that degree. You're 00:49:53.679 --> 00:49:57.119 learning how to position yourself and, you know, 00:49:57.179 --> 00:49:59.840 hoping that someone else will not define your 00:49:59.840 --> 00:50:01.840 worth for you. You have to define it for yourself. 00:50:03.400 --> 00:50:05.449 All right, we're... I'm running out of time here, 00:50:05.909 --> 00:50:08.550 but look, I know what's coming next for a lot 00:50:08.550 --> 00:50:12.570 of you guys. A lot of what you're gonna go through 00:50:12.570 --> 00:50:16.590 is gonna require a mindset reset. I don't want 00:50:16.590 --> 00:50:20.409 you to graduate and just log on to social media, 00:50:20.750 --> 00:50:24.630 Instagram, TikTok, and watch how everyone is 00:50:24.630 --> 00:50:27.250 thriving. Everyone online is so -called thriving. 00:50:27.710 --> 00:50:30.590 Someone's gonna move to LA for a fellowship. 00:50:31.079 --> 00:50:33.199 It's going to be someone's first day at Google 00:50:33.199 --> 00:50:35.280 and all of that, and someone's getting married. 00:50:35.960 --> 00:50:37.699 And meanwhile, you might be at home just trying 00:50:37.699 --> 00:50:41.019 to figure out whether you should apply for a 00:50:41.019 --> 00:50:45.780 job that's going to pay you $42 ,000. But let 00:50:45.780 --> 00:50:46.940 me just tell you something that's going to save 00:50:46.940 --> 00:50:49.219 your mental health. If it looks like everyone's 00:50:49.219 --> 00:50:53.179 winning, remember, you're only seeing the highlight 00:50:53.179 --> 00:50:56.809 reel. So all this social media stuff, I know 00:50:56.809 --> 00:50:58.349 you guys know this, but sometimes you need a 00:50:58.349 --> 00:51:01.070 reminder. All this stuff is just a curated collection 00:51:01.070 --> 00:51:04.949 of peak moments. You're not gonna see, people 00:51:04.949 --> 00:51:07.090 are not gonna post about, oh, I got rejected 00:51:07.090 --> 00:51:11.170 from this job, or here's my student loan bill, 00:51:11.650 --> 00:51:14.289 or I cried myself to sleep last night, or I had 00:51:14.289 --> 00:51:17.789 a nervous breakdown after five rejections. You 00:51:17.789 --> 00:51:19.670 know, they're not gonna post that type of stuff. 00:51:20.150 --> 00:51:22.429 So don't get caught all up in that. You're not 00:51:22.429 --> 00:51:26.440 behind. You're not failing. You're not off track. 00:51:26.679 --> 00:51:29.219 You're just living in real time. You're living 00:51:29.219 --> 00:51:33.199 life in real time, not on a feed with all these 00:51:33.199 --> 00:51:36.579 filters. Okay, so stop comparing your journey 00:51:36.579 --> 00:51:39.559 to someone else's destination. Let them worry 00:51:39.559 --> 00:51:41.400 about all that. Let them post their highlights. 00:51:42.280 --> 00:51:46.519 But focus on your next right step, not what your 00:51:46.519 --> 00:51:48.400 next photo op is gonna be and trying to make 00:51:48.400 --> 00:51:52.079 it look like this or that. Okay? So remember, 00:51:52.119 --> 00:51:54.769 you're not gonna... You may not, you may, some 00:51:54.769 --> 00:51:58.349 people land their dream job right away, but you 00:51:58.349 --> 00:52:01.190 probably won't. I didn't discover my dream job 00:52:01.190 --> 00:52:04.869 until I was 45 years old. And that was after 00:52:04.869 --> 00:52:07.590 already dedicating over a decade in a career 00:52:07.590 --> 00:52:10.289 field I didn't really like, I didn't really feel 00:52:10.289 --> 00:52:14.570 connected to. So like I said, don't sleep on 00:52:14.570 --> 00:52:18.239 that first job or first few jobs. Don't try to 00:52:18.239 --> 00:52:20.440 go for the fancy title that you get it great, 00:52:20.440 --> 00:52:22.579 but if your first job is not glamorous Don't 00:52:22.579 --> 00:52:27.079 worry about it. You know do your best Don't go 00:52:27.079 --> 00:52:30.840 overboard with Trying to get everything to be 00:52:30.840 --> 00:52:34.260 so fancy and all of this remember your purpose 00:52:34.260 --> 00:52:38.099 and It's not going to be limited to your paycheck 00:52:38.099 --> 00:52:40.059 and your value is not going to be defined by 00:52:40.059 --> 00:52:44.300 your your job title Okay, so just keep going 00:52:44.300 --> 00:52:47.409 keep applying keep showing up Don't lose sight 00:52:47.409 --> 00:52:50.789 of your goal. If you have to take a detour, it's 00:52:50.789 --> 00:52:55.530 fine. It's no big issue, you know? And if you're 00:52:55.530 --> 00:52:58.809 looking for a blueprint or something practical 00:52:58.809 --> 00:53:02.010 that you can read that's going to give you some 00:53:02.010 --> 00:53:06.750 more in -depth tools, then I want you to go on 00:53:06.750 --> 00:53:09.090 Amazon .com and check out my book, Unlocking 00:53:09.090 --> 00:53:12.510 Your Best Life. I wrote it just for moments like 00:53:12.510 --> 00:53:15.030 this when you're in transition. And when you 00:53:15.030 --> 00:53:18.949 don't exactly know what's next, you want to see 00:53:18.949 --> 00:53:20.929 some changes in your life, but you don't know 00:53:20.929 --> 00:53:23.510 how to get started. You know, you're trying to 00:53:23.510 --> 00:53:25.130 figure out how to move forward, and it feels 00:53:25.130 --> 00:53:27.849 like the world keeps knocking you down. In that 00:53:27.849 --> 00:53:30.269 book, I give 10 power moves that you can make 00:53:30.269 --> 00:53:32.590 right now. It's not going to cost you any money. 00:53:33.329 --> 00:53:35.230 The stuff you can start doing right now is start 00:53:35.230 --> 00:53:37.269 building momentum and shifting your life in the 00:53:37.269 --> 00:53:40.409 right direction. And, you know, having a life 00:53:40.409 --> 00:53:44.050 that's full of purpose and peace and power. Like 00:53:44.050 --> 00:53:46.110 I said, you can grab it on Amazon. It's quick. 00:53:46.449 --> 00:53:49.190 There's no fluff in it. It's a quick read. But 00:53:49.190 --> 00:53:51.909 it might just be a thing that you need to jumpstart 00:53:51.909 --> 00:53:55.030 your life in this season that you're in, OK? 00:53:55.909 --> 00:53:57.530 All right, so before I let you go, here's what 00:53:57.530 --> 00:54:00.949 I want you to do next. If this episode resonated 00:54:00.949 --> 00:54:04.170 with you, I want you to share your post -grad 00:54:04.170 --> 00:54:07.050 story using the hashtag that I mentioned earlier, 00:54:07.269 --> 00:54:11.130 LWDAJ. You can always leave me a comment or shoot 00:54:11.130 --> 00:54:13.969 me an email at LiveWithDrAndreJerry at gmail 00:54:13.969 --> 00:54:17.210 .com. Tell me where you are. Tell me what's your 00:54:17.210 --> 00:54:21.210 next move, how you're navigating right now, because 00:54:21.210 --> 00:54:24.530 your story might be very encouraging to the next 00:54:24.530 --> 00:54:27.369 person or someone else who may need to hear it 00:54:27.369 --> 00:54:31.170 and need encouragement. Okay? You can catch all 00:54:31.170 --> 00:54:34.110 of our episodes and our updates on our show web 00:54:34.110 --> 00:54:37.630 page. Just go to www. Look at me. I'm showing 00:54:37.630 --> 00:54:41.190 my age. Who says www anymore? Go to artistfirst 00:54:41.190 --> 00:54:45.170 .com and you'll see a list of shows. Just look 00:54:45.170 --> 00:54:47.690 for my face, Dr. Andre Jarrett. Click on that. 00:54:47.710 --> 00:54:49.469 It'll have a list of all of our shows. Or you 00:54:49.469 --> 00:54:51.510 can just go to YouTube or Spotify. They're all 00:54:51.510 --> 00:54:56.349 there. But just remember that tassel was worth 00:54:56.349 --> 00:54:59.190 the hassle. You made it through, but the real 00:54:59.190 --> 00:55:01.070 test is going to begin now. This is going to 00:55:01.070 --> 00:55:02.769 be your new beginning. This is going to be your 00:55:02.769 --> 00:55:05.860 runway. This is your launch season. All right, 00:55:05.860 --> 00:55:08.659 so make it count. All right, guys, I'm going 00:55:08.659 --> 00:55:10.519 to get out of here. This has been live with Dr. 00:55:10.699 --> 00:55:13.619 Andre Jerry. I'll see you next Wednesday, same 00:55:13.619 --> 00:55:17.420 time at 6 p .m. Eastern. Until then, stay focused, 00:55:17.639 --> 00:55:20.760 stay faithful, stay ready, because your next 00:55:20.760 --> 00:55:23.980 opportunity is already looking for you. All right. 00:55:24.320 --> 00:55:25.340 Peace. I'll see you next time.