10 Inspirational Career Quotes For Recent College Grads

Popular 10 Inspirational Career Quotes For Recent College Grads Kelly KuehnJenna ArcandApril 26, 2024 Bigstock {"adCodes": [{"desktop": "\u003cdiv class=\u0027rblad-wit_content\u0027\u003e\u003c/div\u003e", "display": true, "mobile": "\u003cdiv class=\u0027rblad-wit_content\u0027\u003e\u003c/div\u003e", "new_amp": "\u003camp-ad width=336 height=280\n type=\"doubleclick\"\n data-slot=\"/22278042776,22664312254/wit/wit_content\"\n data-multi-size=\"300x250\"\u003e\n\u003c/amp-ad\u003e", "order": 0, "tablet": "\u003cdiv class=\u0027rblad-wit_content\u0027\u003e\u003c/div\u003e"}, {"desktop": "\u003cdiv class=\u0027rblad-wit_content\u0027\u003e\u003c/div\u003e", "display": true, "mobile": "\u003cdiv class=\u0027rblad-wit_content\u0027\u003e\u003c/div\u003e", "new_amp": "\u003camp-ad width=336 height=280\n type=\"doubleclick\"\n data-slot=\"/22278042776,22664312254/wit/wit_content\"\n data-multi-size=\"300x250\"\u003e\n\u003c/amp-ad\u003e", "order": 1, "tablet": "\u003cdiv class=\u0027rblad-wit_content\u0027\u003e\u003c/div\u003e"}, {"desktop": "\u003cdiv class=\u0027rblad-wit_content\u0027\u003e\u003c/div\u003e", "display": true, "mobile": "\u003cdiv class=\u0027rblad-wit_content\u0027\u003e\u003c/div\u003e", "new_amp": "\u003camp-ad width=336 height=280\n type=\"doubleclick\"\n data-slot=\"/22278042776,22664312254/wit/wit_content\"\n data-multi-size=\"300x250\"\u003e\n\u003c/amp-ad\u003e", "order": 2, "tablet": "\u003cdiv class=\u0027rblad-wit_content\u0027\u003e\u003c/div\u003e"}], "adsOrder": [2]}

Congratulations, recent college grad! You've worked hard to get that degree and should be incredibly proud of your accomplishments. However, we know it can be easy to feel overwhelmed as a recent graduate, especially when you're navigating the job search.

That being said, we all need a little inspiration once in a while when we're applying for jobs and trying to decide which path is the right one.

Here are some great inspirational quotes recent college grads can turn to if they're feeling discouraged by the job search process.

"It's not whether you get knocked down, it's whether you get up." —Vince Lombardi

As a recent college grad, you'll probably apply for quite a few jobs. There's a good chance that not all of these jobs will get back to you and request an interview.

Rejection is a part of the job search, and it's something everyone goes through. The key thing to remember here is that you have to bounce back after getting rejected.

Does getting rejected sting? Of course. However, it's how you react to getting rejected that will define how the rest of your job search goes.

"The best preparation for tomorrow is doing your best today."  —H. Jackson Brown, Jr.

Trust us, you aren't doing yourself any favors by procrastinating your job search. Put your best foot forward in your job search, starting today. Need to clean up that resume? Do it now. Is your LinkedIn profile incomplete? Fix it up today!

By doing the very best you can do today, you help prepare yourself for a better tomorrow.

For example, if you fix up your resume and cover letter today, and your dream job pops up tomorrow, you'll be ready to apply with the best materials at your fingertips.

You never know when these big opportunities will come up, so it's crucial for you to always be prepared to showcase your amazing skills.

"Nothing is impossible, the word itself says 'I'm Possible!'" —Audrey Hepburn

The sky is truly the limit when it comes to what you can do as a recent college graduate.

You may think it's impossible to launch your own startup or apply for your international dream job, but the truth is that you can do anything you set your mind to.

Now we're not saying it'll be easy. There will definitely be times you want to drop everything and give up. However, it's crucial that you keep your goals in mind, and do whatever you can to achieve them.

Believe in yourself and what you're capable of doing. You made it through college, after all—that's a huge accomplishment, and it proves that you can set a big goal and achieve it.

"You are always free to change your mind and choose a different future, or a different past." —Richard Bach

Here's the thing about career, and life in general: It's unpredictable.

What you want at age 22 may not be the same thing you want at age 30. And that's okay.

You have the right to change careers at any point in your life. Think about it: We usually spend 40 (or more) hours per week at work. That's a lot of time. So if you aren't enjoying what you're doing during that time, why wouldn't you change it?

If you decide down the line that the career you chose to pursue isn't for you anymore, it's okay to switch gears and go after new opportunities.

"Just don't give up trying to do what you really want to do. Where there is love and inspiration, I don't think you can go wrong." —Ella Fitzgerald

Think about your college major. Why did you choose that specific one?If you have a passion for something and you know it makes you happy, then pursue it.

At the end of the day, you're the one who is building a life you love, and part of that life will be your career. Do something that makes you happy and inspires you, and the rest will fall into place.

"Life is 10% what happens to you and 90% how you react to it." —Charles R. Swindoll

Things you may not like will happen throughout your career. You may not get a callback for your dream job, you may be let go, or you may get passed up for a promotion. You can't control these things, but you can control how you react to them.

It's how you respond to these situations that will define who you are as a working professional. Are you going to dwell on what happened, or are you going to grow from it?

"The secret of getting ahead is getting started." —Mark Twain

Everyone has to start somewhere in their career.

As a recent college grad, you may be thinking of ways you can get ahead at work, especially if you're in an entry-level position. However, remember that Rome wasn't built in a day—and your career won't be built in a day, either. You're just starting out, so give yourself a break.

Sometimes the hardest step to take is the first one. But once you do take that first step, it'll be well worth it.

"Quality is not an act, it is a habit."  —Aristotle

When you're just starting out in your career, it's important to build habits that will set you up for success. No matter what you do in your career, you should always strive to give it your all and put your best foot forward.

Doing the best you can every single day on the job will help you add tremendous value to your company. Plus, getting a great reputation as a quality worker will help boost your personal brand.

So if you're just starting out, do yourself a favor and pay extra attention to the habits you're building. They will create a solid foundation for you to build your career success.

"The most effective way to do it, is to do it."  —Amelia Earhart

It can be really easy to get intimidated in the job search, and even when you land your first job out of college. There may be obstacles or projects thrown your way that you have never dealt with before, and you may not be sure how to handle them. This quote says it all. The most effective way to do something is to go ahead and just do it.

Want to apply to that dream job? Do it. Want to pitch a brand new project at work? Do it!

You're not going to get anywhere if you stand idly by. Be proactive and go after what you want.

"I attribute my success to this—I never gave or took any excuse." —Florence Nightingale

This quote is simple but highly effective. It can be really easy to come up with excuses as to why you're not meeting your goals. However, it's important that you don't give excuses and hold yourself accountable during the early stages of your career.

Also, don't be afraid to not take the excuses that may come your way. If you know something needs to be done, and it's not getting done, hold others accountable for their actions.

Recent college grads may be intimidated when entering the job search, but it isn't as scary as some may think. With the right preparation, college grads can enter the workforce confident and ready to take on any career challenge they may face.

Need Help Landing Your First Job Out Of College?

Download the My First Job Workbook to learn how to use your personality and passion to get hired. It's the best free resource you'll use in your job search—and the only one you need to land your first job.

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Is your job search turning into a grind with no end in sight? It may be time to take a step back and reevaluate your entire approach.

In cold weather climates, the beginning of spring is a time to clean the house and get organized—a practice known as spring cleaning. Through the years, spring cleaning has taken on a larger meaning with people using the time to organize and declutter things in their lives.

For professionals on the job hunt, a little spring cleaning (metaphorically speaking) could be a great way to reinvigorate your job search. Here are a few strategies your job search spring cleaning should include.

Reevaluate Your Job Search Approach Bigstock

Make a list of the last handful of jobs you applied for and see if you can identify any positive or negative trends. Consider things like:

• How did I learn about this job?
• How did I apply for the job?
• Did I earn an interview?
• What was the ultimate result?

A lot can be learned about your job search approach just by answering these questions and identifying patterns. For example:

Negative Trends

You discovered five jobs through job boards, applied to all of them via the job boards, and never heard back from any of them.

The common pattern here is applying through job boards. This isn't to say that job boards don't serve a purpose in the job search process, but they have their limitations, and you can't run your job search entirely off of them. When you apply through a job board, there's a good chance that your materials will never get past the applicant tracking system (ATS) and never be seen by an actual person.

One simple fix is to research who the hiring manager or recruiter is that posted the position and email your materials to them directly.

The more efficient fix would be to take a proactive approach by putting together a bucket list of companies that you want to work for and start making connections on LinkedIn with people who work at those companies. You may already know some people who work there or have connections that can refer you to some individuals.

This is a great way to network your way onto a company's radar.

Positive Trends

You applied to three jobs via referral, were invited to two job interviews, and made it through multiple rounds of interviews for one of the jobs before being passed over for someone with a little more experience.

The pattern here is that getting referred to a job by a professional acquaintance is a great way to land a job interview. This indicates that you're leveraging your network well and you should continue to focus on your networking efforts.

The next step is to review the interview process and determine what went well and what needs to be improved. Sometimes the interviewer will provide feedback, and that feedback can be valuable. However, not everyone is comfortable with giving feedback.

Chances are you probably have a good idea about areas of improvement and the skills you need to gain. Put together a plan for addressing those shortfalls.

The good news in making it deep into any interview process is that it indicates that the company likes you as a potential employee (even if the timing just wasn't right) and the experience could be a roadmap to a job with that company at a later date, or another similar opportunity elsewhere.

Give Your Resume & Cover Letter Some Much-Needed Attention Bigstock

Are you continuously sending similar resumes and cover letters to each job opening with only minor adjustments? If so, your strategy needs some serious spring cleaning.

Let's start with resumes!

Every resume should be tailored to the position in order for it to stand out to recruiters and hiring managers. It may seem like a lot of work, but it's actually less work than submitting the same resume over and over again and never hearing back.

The reason why it's so important to tailor your resume is that throughout your career, you acquire numerous skills, but the job you're applying for may only be focusing on 6-8 of those skills. In that case, those skills must rise to the top of the resume with quantifiable examples of how you successfully used those skills at previous jobs.

Remember, recruiters go through hundreds of resumes. They need to be able to tell from a quick glance whether or not you're a potential candidate for the position.

While updating your resume, you could also spruce up your LinkedIn profile by highlighting the skill sets that you want to be noticed for by recruiters.

As for writing a good cover letter, the key to success is writing a disruptive cover letter. When you write a disruptive cover letter, you're basically telling a story. The story should focus on how you connect with the particular company and job position. The story could also focus on your personal journey, and how you got to where you currently are in your career.

If your resumes and cover letters aren't unique, now is the time to clean things up and get on track.

Build Your Personal Brand

Just because you're looking for work doesn't mean that you don't have anything to offer. Use previous career experiences and passions to build your personal brand.

Ask yourself, "How do I want other professionals to view me?"

Pick an area of expertise and start sharing your knowledge and experience with your professional network by pushing out content on your LinkedIn and social media accounts. Good content can include blogs, social media posts, and videos.

By sharing content about your experiences and passions, you slowly build your personal brand, and others will start to notice. The content could lead to good discussions with others in your network. It could also lead to reconnecting with connections that you haven't spoken to in years, or making new connections.

You never know when one of these connections could turn into a job lead or referral. The trick is to get on people's radars. So, when you're cleaning up your job search, be sure to build a plan for personal branding.

Maintain Healthy Habits During Your Job Search Bigstock

Your job search is important, but it's even more important to know when to pull back and focus on personal health and spending time with family and friends.

There are actually things that you can do for your own enjoyment that could help your job search in the long run, such as:

• Grab coffee with a friend - It's good to engage in light conversation with friends during challenging times. And if your job search does come up, remember that most people have been through it themselves and you never know when a friend may provide you with a good idea or lead on a job.
• Volunteer - Volunteering is a great way to get involved in the community and help others. In addition, if you develop a little bit of a career gap while looking for a job, you can always talk about how you filled that time volunteering, if you're asked about it during a job interview.
• Continue to focus on other passions - Are you a fitness nut? Blogger? Crafter? Continue to do the things that bring you happiness. And if you're in a position to profit from your passion through a freelance job or side hustle, even better!

Spring is the perfect time to clean up and improve your job search so you can land the job you want. If you're struggling to find a job, follow the tips above to reinvigorate your job search—and watch your career blossom!

Need more help with your job search?

Become a member to learn how to land a job and UNLEASH your true potential to get what you want from work!

This article was originally published at an earlier date.

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