Inspire the graduates in your life almost as much as President Obama, who’s heading to Howard University tomorrow. (Photo: White House)
Leilani M. Brown, author of From Campus to Cubicle: 25 Tips for Your First Professional Year.
College students are walking across the stage and into their future careers over the next several weekends. They will be inspired by the likes of U.S. Attorney General Loretta E. Lynch next Sunday at Spelman College and President Obama tomorrow at Howard University. But someone closer to home might have even more impact: YOU!
Take some time this weekend to reach out to a prospective graduate in your family, around the corner, at your place of worship or through the internship program at work. Your words of advice and the example you set could make a bigger difference than you think.
That’s part of the reason business and marketing executive Leilani M. Brown wrote From Campus to Cubicle: 25 Tips for Your First Professional Year.
“I wrote From Campus to Cubicle to offer practical guidance to recent graduates and young professionals as they enter the workforce,” Brown said. “Indeed they are ambitious, talented, tech-savvy and smart but ‘working’ on a college campus can be quite different than working in, or for, a company.”
“Our recent graduates and new employees are already managing enough information as they close out one chapter and start a new one. I intentionally wrote this as a quick, fun and easy read book as they make their transition.”
Brown also wants to help young professionals navigate a workplace that is far different from the past. In this disrupted economy, she says, “entry-level jobs are giving way to freelancing, projects and extended internships.”
A longtime mentor who has also facilitated professional development initiatives for various organizations, Brown shares three tips as a sneak peek into her book:
- Pay Yourself First – When you fill out the benefits paperwork, max out the 401K!
- Learn the Business – Prioritize learning about the company and the industry.
- Admit What You Don’t Know – There are no dumb questions … yet! So ask.
Brown will sign her book at a launch party form 6 p.m. to 9 p.m. today at Angel of Harlem, 2272 Frederick Douglass Blvd. in New York. She also plans an online forum on social media using the hashtag #fromcampustocubicle.
About Fierce Fridays — Tips for Weekend Well-Being
Celebrate and mentor a new graduate, such as these alumnae of Spelman College. (Photo: Creative Commons)
We each cherish those precious days off at the end of the week, but increasingly those of us who are charter members of the sisterhood of the stressed and overworked are losing our Saturday and Sunday leisure time to weekend work and domestic duties.
To make sure that you do something every weekend that’s just for you, we’ll be sharing a little advice to make those 48 hours a great time to recharge your batteries, bring a little good news and fun into your life, or discover a quick and easy way to improve your health.
