Making the Transition from Academics to the Workforce

You’ve worked hard to earn your Master of Public Health (MPH) degree. For the past two years, you have spent all of your spare time studying, writing papers, and participating in class discussions. But that was then. You’re now officially an MPH graduate. As you gaze upon your diploma for the first time, you are overcome with feelings of joy and accomplishment, as you should be. You’ve totally earned it. It’s celebration time! But in the days and weeks that follow the initial feelings of euphoria you felt when you graduated slowly fade. Eventually, they are replaced with something new: What now?

Transitioning from a life of academics to the workforce isn’t always as easy as it sounds, especially when you’ve been in “academic mode” for so long. For some, the change can feel quite abrupt and confusing when their daily routines are suddenly altered. Thankfully though, it doesn’t have to be this way. The following are a few things you can do to ease the transition from academics to the workforce. These things will help to smooth the inevitable bumps and decrease anxiety and confusion.

Make a Schedule to Stay Balanced

Making a schedule and sticking to it is one of the best things you can do to smooth your transition from academics to the workforce. Maintaining a schedule can decrease the initial shock that often occurs when students graduate and suddenly find they have a lot of extra free time on their hands. While having a lot of extra free time may initially sound great, it can eventually turn into a problem for those who don’t know what to do with their free time. This is especially true in some cases where it may take a little longer than expected to find the right job.

Set a time to wake up each morning, a time to go to sleep at night, and a time for everything else in between. And if you haven’t found the right job yet, make looking for a job your full-time job. Create set hours for job hunting and stick to them. But don’t forget to schedule time for rest. Downtime is important, too!

Understand Generational Differences

“The times,” as Bob Dylan used to sing, “they are a-changin’…”

As each new generation comes along, it brings with it a new style of music, but that’s not the only thing that changes. Our fashion styles, cultural values, and so many other things are constantly evolving. It’s important to keep these generational differences in mind when entering the workforce to ensure workplace harmony.

As you enter the workforce, it’s important to do so with an open mind. It’s important to do so with the expectation that some are going to have different ideas and opinions on things, and that it might be from generational differences. Try hard not to be offended if someone sees things differently than you do. Take the time to consider things from their perspective. See if you can find some common ground with them. Being seen as a team player is a great way to move up in a company.

Create a Budget

Financial issues are a common concern for many when transitioning from academics to the workforce. One of these best ways to alleviate financial concerns is to create a budget that you can live with and sticking to it. When creating your budget, make sure it is realistic and that you carefully consider your income and expenses. Being aware of your finances is a great way to reduce stress in your life. Just be sure to leave a little room for some fun things like eating out, going out with friends, and others. A budget that does not leave any room for recreation could add to your stress, not decrease it.

Look for Challenging and Rewarding Careers

With your freshly minted MPH degree, you want to pursue career options that are both challenging and personally rewarding. A career that constantly challenges you will be a career where you can learn new things and grow in. Who says your education has to stop once your formal studies are over? And a career you find personally rewarding will be a career you will look forward to going to every day. This can make a great deal of difference in your personal happiness and overall life satisfaction. A Master of Public Health degree opens the doors to many different careers, and you should not settle for a position you don’t enjoy or doing something that does not challenge or excite you.

Stick to Values and Motivators

Take some time to write down the things you value and the things that motivate you in your dream career. Make a written list of them and then review your list. What are some of the things that stand out to you? Perhaps you want to help people in your new career. Maybe you want a job working with a lot of great people. Or perhaps you want a job working in another country where you can take in a new culture and be immersed in a foreign language. Once you have a clear picture of what your personal values and motivators are, you can then pursue careers that have the attributes you are looking for.

Get Some Exercise

When things in your life seem hectic, it can be easy to forget to exercise. But it’s during these times that you need to exercise more than ever. While many people exercise just so they can look good, exercising also has powerful health benefits that you should not ignore. Exercise can lower your blood pressure, release endorphins, and can also help to reduce the effects of stress on your body and mind. Access to a gym is not required to benefit from exercise, either. Just going for a nice, long walk can do wonders for clearing your mind and reducing stress.

Network

Networking is extremely important in the day and age we now live in. Many jobs, in fact, are filled as the result of networking, and not by answering job advertisements. Networking is not something to be feared, though. It’s quite easy to do. One common way to network is to join and be active in an organization that is affiliated with the type of work you want to do. There’s an organization for just about everything you can think of these days, so there is sure to be one for your career. Some organizations many be entirely online and joining them is as easy as signing up on a website or joining a Facebook group. If you live in a large metro area, there might just be an organization you can join where you can meet like-minded people in person. And don’t forget LinkedIn. LinkedIn is now very popular with employers and job seekers alike, and countless jobs have been filled just by networking online on this popular platform.

Create New Social Groups

Social groups are a great way to get together with people who share common interests as a way to have fun or to network for career purposes. But what do you do if a social group for something you’re interested in doesn’t already exist? You create one yourself; that’s what you do. Creating a new social group doesn’t have to be a major undertaking. You could start with a simple Facebook group and then take it from there. You would probably be surprised how many people will join your group, even if your social group focuses on something that is uncommon. We live in a big world with billions of people in it. And all of those people have a diverse range of interests.

Try to Experience New Things

Experiencing new things in life is a great way to lower your stress level and to keep life interesting. As previously mentioned, it’s good to create a schedule for yourself, but don’t allow yourself to get stuck in a rut. In the schedule you created you should have left some time for a little rest. Remember that? Experiencing new things can be restful or fun and exciting!

Is there a new restaurant you want to check out? Go for it! Or maybe you want to try something you’ve always been interested in but never felt like you had the time. You should make the time. Not only is it good for your emotional well-being, but it will also help to ease your transition from academics to the workforce. Why not make the transition as smooth as possible? Why not have a little fun in the process? Why not?