I encourage not just new grads to read the recent Accenture 2014 College Graduate Employment Survey because it reveals important trends about the workplace for professionals from new grad to mid-career. Here’s an excerpt:
“The research reveals that many companies are not providing the talent development and training programs expected by recent college graduates. The vast majority of students graduating from college in 2014 (80 percent) expect their first employers to provide them with a formal training program, however, 52 percent of students who graduated from college in the past two years say they did not receive training in their first job.”
This reminds us of one of the #1 mistakes professionals make in managing their career development – not finding a mentor. It’s on you to do this now. Gone are the days of apprenticeships; your company may or may not provide a mentoring program. It’s up to you to take charge of your success and development by finding a mentor and taking charge of your own education when necessary. Now this doesn’t mean shell out thousands of dollars you don’t have for a training program. But find ways to educate yourself – books, free online training (courser.org for example), or ask your employer if they will assist. The bottom line is, it falls on you to be proactive about your progression.
Hallie Crawford
Certified Career Coach
P.S. Be sure to check out our LinkedIn Consulting Program where you can learn how to effectively leverage your LinkedIn account for your job search and ongoing professional development.
