Have you graduated recently? Truthfully, stepping into the real world right after college is always challenging. Students must choose a career pathway, find a job, and manage personal finances. It might seem overwhelming, but you can move step by step.
Firstly, select a career route that aligns with your undergrad degree. Students with business degrees can step into the corporate world, whereas social science graduates can explore social work opportunities. A pre-defined career pathway will make your job hunt easier, helping you land a lucrative job. Next up, you must sort out your finances as most adult students don’t receive any allowance from their guardians.
You can create monthly budgets to put money aside for rent, utility bills, and miscellaneous expenses. Likewise, make a habit of saving money, which can come in handy during emergencies. Healthy financial habits at an early age can save you from financial troubles later in life. If you don’t know where to begin, look below. Here we have outlined six career and finance tips for adult students.
- Pursue Higher Education
Most students want to gain work experience before opting for higher education. But once you step into the corporate world, education no longer remains the primary goal. Therefore, consider pursuing a master’s degree alongside your career. You can enroll in evening MBA programs if you have a full-time job. Otherwise, you can look for universities offering online classes.
Lately, the University of Wisconsin online MBA program has become immensely popular. As classes are held online, students save up on costs and time spent on traveling. Most importantly, the online curriculum lets them learn at their pace with flexibility. So, no matter when you start your career, make sure to get a master’s degree alongside. You can also pick a specialization according to your field of interest and make the most out of it.
Besides this, you can also opt for advanced certifications. They can add significant value to your resume, giving you an edge over other candidates in the industry. In addition, short courses on information technology, artificial intelligence, and machine learning leave an impressive mark on your resume.
- Learn to Budget
Budgeting is one of the core principles of personal finance. You can keep an eye on where your money goes by creating a monthly budget. It will also act as your spending plan to track how much money is coming and going out. You can begin by listing your cash inflow and deducting it from monthly expenses. It will determine how much money you have in hand.
Moreover, creating a budget will make you realize how buying coffee from a barista adds to a significant monthly expense. In turn, you can make small changes in your daily expenses, like making coffee at home. Minor adjustments to your expense patterns can significantly impact your financial situation.
- Build a Network
Believe it or not, networking has become vital for career progression. So, how can you build a network and connect with industry leaders? Every student must have an online presence. Nowadays, companies and recruiters use LinkedIn to source candidates. Establishing your profile on this forum will help you connect with industry leaders while making you visible to recruiters.
Furthermore, you can join affinity groups. These are like-minded people with a common interest or educational background. You will come across different people from various countries, building a diverse network. Lastly, attend conferences, seminars, and webinars hosted by key players in the industry. You can also participate in trade shows to get an overview of the industry dynamics.
- Avoid Credit
Most people have a habit of swiping their credit cards whenever they shop. As a result, young adults are also starting to adopt this habit. Truthfully, putting all your purchases on a credit card can be risky. It leads to debt accumulation which means you will pay hefty interest for the purchases. In addition, high dependence on credit can affect your credit score. That means acquiring loans in the future will be challenging since you have a bad credit record.
However, this doesn’t mean credit cards are bad. They can be helpful if you use them to your advantage and pay off the entire amount at once. Timely payment of credit card bills will help build a good credit score that can improve your credit history.
- Expand Your Skillset
As the world continues to evolve quickly, your problem-solving skills won’t suffice. Every student should focus on learning new skills to thrive and stand out amongst other candidates. You can take up a few courses on digitization to understand the concept of digital-age literacy. It will help you analyze, manage, access, evaluate, and create information in different media.
Another skill that every student must learn is the art of adaptive thinking. You must be willing and able to adapt to changing conditions. That means you must learn new things quickly and efficiently. Collaboration skills also play a crucial role in today’s corporate world. Employees have to work in teams within and outside of the organization. Lastly, polish your communication skills to communicate across different forums.
- Save Up for Emergencies
Most Gen Z and millennials don’t have a habit of saving money, but unfortunately, emergencies happen unannounced. Because of this, they have to borrow money or fall into debt. Therefore, adult students should get into the habit of saving money for emergencies. You can create a separate bank account and pool 20%-30% of your monthly salary. It’s a simple practice that will save you from financial troubles.
An added benefit is that you will get into the habit of saving money, treating it as a monthly expense. Further, you can start earning on your savings by opening a high-yield saving account or short-term certificate of deposit. The account will earn interest, ensuring inflation doesn’t erode the value of your savings with time.
Final Thoughts
Your career begins once you step into the real corporate world. From finding a job to securing a promotion, the professional world offers a bumpy ride filled with ups and downs. Likewise, staying on top of finances is imperative to secure your future. You can start saving early, spending wisely, and reducing your dependence on debt. Most importantly, expand your income stream by climbing the professional ladder. Connect with influential people, get advanced qualifications, and keep yourself open to learning.