3 Ways College Helps Prepare You for the "Real" World

There is always debate by employers, educators and students regarding if college prepares graduates to be career ready. There are many factors to consider in determining the true impact of higher education on career success. No matter where you stand on the issue, here are three ways that a college experience prepares some graduates for long-term career success and satisfaction.

If you find a mentor, you will thrive. The Gallup-Purdue Index 2015 Report, with 30,000 survey participants, found that support from faculty members and mentors doubled the odds that a graduate will "strongly agree that his or her education was worth the cost." When a professor or another adult in the academic experience was invested in a student as a person or was excited about his development, the student thrived. The same principal applies at work too: if you are able to secure a relationship with a manager or a mentor at work, you will increase your learning and maximize your professional development.

The modern business environment is busy, hectic and makes it easy for a new graduate to get lost in the shuffle. Vetting your prospective employer to determine if there is a culture of mentorship is a great first step. Learning how to establish an actual relationship with someone at work who takes more than an obligatory interest in you is even better. A mentoring relationship is often a key differentiator for development.

A good reference is like gold. It's often hard to find a strong reference when you need it, but a good one is incredibly valuable. The challenge with building a network of reference-worthy connections is that you don't usually know when you might need them in the future. High-achieving students keep in mind that they may want (or need) their instructors to give recommendations for future classes, projects, scholarships, study abroad, graduate school and even internships. Because the need for a reference may come up suddenly, it is beneficial to make a great impression on multiple people. The same is true at work, where you never know when the next great opportunity will come. What is evident is that it will be much easier to be selected for that opportunity with strong references.

A good reference will do more than just verify the basics of your work, they will make sure the inquiring party knows about your drive, ethics, ability to be coached, personality and whatever other traits made you worth the time they are taking to help you. In short, they will vouch for you. Few things can compare to the credit that is given when a manager goes out of their way to endorse you. Make sure you are building a network of such people.

Delayed gratification is indeed gratifying. The Gallup-Purdue poll found that a graduate's satisfaction was 1.6 times higher than other graduates if they "worked on a project that took a semester or more to complete." In almost every aspect of daily life, people hurry to get an immediate response – and when they have delays or setbacks, many of them move on to something else. Earning a college degree is different. It is clearly understood that a bachelor's degree will likely take four years to complete. Students recognize this means four years of effort. Four years when sometimes you feel like you are a windshield, pushing through the breeze. And, other times you are the bug, getting splat even though you didn't intentionally do anything wrong. In short, during college, students know success takes time.

Somehow this concept is thrown out for most as soon as they graduate. Your first career is very similar to college. At first, it is new and exciting and there is no challenge you are not willing to undertake. Next, you hit some speed bumps. You realize you may not know quite as much about the business world as you thought. And, even though your manager embarrassingly wears clothes from the early 2000s, they do know how to convince a furious client not to cancel a contract despite your error. At some point, the grass may look greener somewhere else. You see people you didn't think were as smart or as competent as you get promotions. You hear about friends in other companies or professions who seem to have it easier than you or make way more money than you.

This is the time (usually around 9 to 15 months in) when most new professionals jump ship to something that looks new and shiny (and likely pays more.) When you were in college, most people understood that every time you switched majors or schools, you usually had to take several steps backs. In the workforce, many new employees assume if they haven't achieved success quickly, it is their company or manager that is at fault, so a change will move them forward. What most learn over time is that what feels like a move forward, if made too quickly or without real merit, is often a step back at a time when you least expect or want it. Remember, for work and college, success takes consistent effort and time to get through all of the education. Leave too soon, and the missing knowledge (or your track record of job hopping) can often mar your candidacy or performance later.