What Does it Mean to Be a "Successful" Graduate?

So, you’re on the final stretch of your qualification. Congratulations - further education can be tough, but you’ve done well to get this far. Let’s take a moment to reflect on what your next steps in your education journey may be - whether you're looking to wrap up your studies, or to enhance your qualifications with additional certifications, such as a juris doctorate, let's explore what it means to be a successful graduate.

At the end of the day, while it’s unlikely you’ll leave school and become a billionaire, there are many small steps that you can take to be successful that don't require you to make immense personal sacrifices. Let's explore what taste to succeed when you finish your studies, some of the potential options if you don't like your studies, and ultimately, what makes a successful graduate in today's ever-changing world.

You’re Passionate About Your Studies

First things first - to be a successful graduate you have to be passionate about what you've studied. There is nothing more boring in the world than an engineer that doesn't like to talk about engineering - would it surprise you to learn that more than 70% of graduates hated their first graduate role?

In your day-to-day you're going need to be able to communicate the skills, techniques, and technologies that you have learned as part of your coursework in your employment. Whether it be sitting in an engineering firm and explaining the nuances of a particular software toolkit or maybe explaining the underlying mathematics that creates algebra if you're a teacher, for a graduate to be successful, they need to be passionate, enthusiastic, and take pride in their work. If they’re unable to find joy in what they studied, then why did they even bother in the first place?

The Organized Graduate

One of the things that can help a new graduate stand out from the competition is their ability to be organized and prepared for what comes after graduation - the inevitable job hunt and initial employment. Highly performing graduates go beyond having a CV that is high quality -  they’re able to elicit why they can demonstrate that they not only have the skills necessary for the role but that they’re also best suited to it. While less organized graduates do well at coursework, they may struggle to develop interpersonal relationships which are essential in working well in a large team.

Motivated to Pursue a New Career

A successful graduate doesn't always stay with the career that they originally intended. One of the important things that you can do when working in your career is to reflect on the role and the job that you're doing at any given time. It is okay to feel that you don't belong, and your first career doesn’t have to be your last choice. There are a range of studies out there that are available if you decide that you’d like to reskill or consolidate your knowledge - the best thing about it is that if a student needs to pivot into a new course, in most cases, universities can facilitate that change. 

If you’re feeling unmotivated, and can’t find the spark of joy that keeps you interested, don’t be afraid to explore 

The Skills of Highly Successful Graduates

Finally, highly successful graduates have many skills in their toolbox. Now, these are not necessarily readily apparent if you’re a recent graduate - naturally, during your course, you’ll have honed and refined some personal skills, such as being able to be organized and manage time effectively. However, there are a couple of special skills that you’ll acquire as a graduate that you may not necessarily pick up when you're completing your course at university.

Skill number one is being able to communicate in different fashions and styles depending on your audience - to take the messaging that you need to communicate, and tailor it towards your particular target. After all, try explaining to a small child what calculus is - any child with less intellect than a young Sheldon Cooper might have a great deal of difficulty understanding what you are talking about. 

Conversely, if you are in a workplace and need to explain the complexities of a difficult function or formula, you may not necessarily need to break it down extensively - perhaps you just need to be able to explain how things work in layman’s terms.

Secondly, another skill that is incredibly desirable among graduates is the ability to work well under pressure. This isn’t specifically a toxic environment - simply, being able to work through complex stakeholder relationships to drive results within a fixed deadline. This naturally leads well to entrepreneurial types, who like to enhance their skills outside of study and work. 

Having all of the above skills is a great way to prepare yourself for future success. Whether it’s being able to break down a topic into manageable chunks, work with difficult folks, or reflect on when you no longer love a career, a great graduate is often only limited by their imagination. Give things a go, don’t be afraid to make wise decisions, and remember - at the end of the day, what you do is just as important as what makes you happy.

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