The Prepared Graduate: Find Your Dream Job, Live the Life You Want, and Step Into Your Purpose (College Graduation Gift)

By Kyyah Abdul, MPH

In 2019, 1.9 million people graduated with their bachelor’s degree (Bustamonte, 2019) and 1.3 million (Fain, 2019) did not work in their field of study. Kyyah believes that the lack of post-graduation preparation is a direct result of a national school system that is failing students.

Colleges and universities don’t believe it is their responsibility to prepare their students to find, apply, and land a job in their focus of study. This lack of career preparation curriculum is what fueled Kyyah’s desire to create Career Savage as the solution.

In her first book, Kyyah aims to share her personal experiences as she showcases her personality and wit as she gives direct, but well-informed advice to guide readers through their own Career Savage journey.

Primary Audience: College Students

A self-guided book, The Prepared Graduate aims to become an on-demand personal career coach for every graduating college student and entry-level professional who finds themselves wandering aimlessly in today’s job market.

Secondary Audience: Parents of College Students

Parents may assume that career skills are taught at some point during their child’s enrollment. To their dismay there are no classes on how to write a proper résumé, interview well, negotiate a job offer or salary. This book will help guide parents through today’s career landscape to help them better prepare their students after graduation.

Tertiary Audience: College Advisors

As advisors are overburdened with the number of students they are assigned, making meaningful, one-on-one meetings nearly impossible, this guide can be used as supplemental reading material given to students. The Prepared Graduate can become a college advisor’s saving grace as it packages everything an advisor wishes they had the time to tell each of their students.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Mango
• Release date: Jan 25, 2022
• ISBN: 9781642507577

Kyyah Abdul, MPH

Ruqayyah Abdulrahoof, professionally known as Kyyah Abdul, is a personal career strategist and founder of Career Savage, a platform dedicated to helping students and young professionals navigate their road to ultimate career success. Kyyah currently works as a remote pharmaceutical consultant facilitating clinical research and development with the FDA to get client medicines approved in the cell therapy, hematology, and oncology space. She has also written public health programs addressing ways to decrease the prevalence of poor cardiovascular health among Black Americans and is the published co-author for a scientific journal, Chronic Respiratory Disease and Health-Related Quality of Life of African American Older Adults in an Economically Disadvantaged Area of Los Angeles.

Book preview

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Praise for The Prepared Graduate

At a time when integrating career services into academic affairs is more critical than ever for meeting American higher education’s historic mission of educating for democracy, this book offers compelling practical advice for connecting curriculum to career through high-impact practices.

—Lynn Pasquerella, president of the Association of American Colleges & Universities (AAC&U)

This book is so real and honest! I wish I had this when I first started out in my career. What Kyyah is doing with this book is so vital to the career growth and survival of every human being... Every parent should read this book and then gift it to their child!

—Nancy Barrows, MS CC-SLP, LAUSD educator & speech language pathologist

The information and steps in this book are shared through relatable and authentic stories, ensuring less career angst among college students.

—Brian Schulman, CEO of Voice Your Vibe

"Hungry to learn? Ambitious? Curious? High-achieving, or just want the answers on how to navigate the beginning of your future? The Prepared Graduate is the insightful read you need."

—Caroline Stokes, author of Elephants Before Unicorns and founder of FORWARD

Real Clients, Real Results

Looking for a job at the height of the pandemic was extremely challenging, but one résumé session with Career Savage [Kyyah] got me several follow-up calls. I now work in tech!

—Jada, 21

I am thankful for everything Kyyah did for my girls! She did a splendid job guiding them through their college application process. They said she really challenged them, and that they feel like better writers as a result. That’s pretty cool.

—Allison, mother of two seniors in high school

After booking a career consult with Kyyah, I felt much more confident about pursuing my career path. Kyyah is an excellent resource for career advice. She understands the importance of networking and working with recruiters and hiring managers. I would recommend anyone who feels uncertain about their career trajectory to book a consultation.

—Evan, 25

As a working professional navigating career positions, consulting with Career Savage [Kyyah] was key in facilitating job negotiations. Her experience and knowledge gave me insight to streamline my decision-making process.

—Zusi, 33

The Career Savage [YouTube] videos helped me discover my true passion in life and to be confident in everything I do! I love the way Kyyah carries herself and the advice she gives to help me become a better version of myself!

—Nneka, 23

Career Savage [Kyyah] is like an angel sent from heaven to help people like me. I started watching her YouTube videos a while ago and believe it or not she helped me a lot as far as my career is concerned. Right now, I am working on my bachelor’s degree and thanks to her insight and guidance I feel prepared for the future. Career Savage made me fall in love with my field and for that I am beyond thankful!

—Frank, 22

When in doubt, press those dial buttons! Who knew the effect one phone call with Career Savage [Kyyah] would have? Our conversation brought everything into perspective and has given me hope for a brighter future in my industry. Kyyah’s advice and insight was all I needed! She was so willing to help and forthcoming with answers and suggestions I didn’t know I needed. Career Savage came through for me.

—B, 35

The person who interviewed me said I had a really nice résumé. Career Savage [Kyyah] held it down!

—Jay, 21

I came across Career Savage [Kyyah] on YouTube while I was contemplating which degree I wanted to pursue in graduate school. I was deciding between two healthcare master’s and didn’t know which one to choose. All I knew was that I wanted to study something that would not only help me make a difference in my community but also satisfy my inquisitive nature. After watching a few videos, I then came across one that discussed a completely different healthcare career option. One I knew nothing about! The way she described this newly discovered field made me want to learn more about it. I felt like I had finally found a career that would make me happy! I have since taken the step in applying for a graduate program in clinical management with a concentration in regulatory science. The thing I love most about Career Savage [Kyyah] is that she doesn’t settle, and she doesn’t worry about changing her mind or pursuing other passions all while building her STEM career. She lets you know that it’s okay to change your mind, to go after your dreams, and to accept whatever happens. She once said she didn’t know if she would go to medical school or become vice president of a pharmaceutical company. She said she would just let the cards fall where they may. As someone who consistently stresses about the future, those words were so comforting to me. It let me know that I can do so many things and that I don’t have to stay in just one place or focus on one project for the rest of my life! I am now excited about going back to school and dedicating some time to other passions and projects. Thank you [Kyyah] for everything that you do! Your words helped me more than you’ll ever know!

—Paola, 32

I have so much to say…but what I will say is I am just glad to have stumbled upon the Career Savage YouTube channel. After watching Kyyah’s videos I am on my way to pursuing a career in health and exploring the amazing versatility the field brings! I feel that I’m unlimited in possibilities and that I can decide to work wherever my heart resides.

—Vick, 19

"A lot of people give career advice but Career Savage [Kyyah] gives honest and realistic advice! She taught me that it’s okay not to pursue medical school and that was a difficult thing for me to let go of. Thanks to her YouTube videos I learned what I really want to do with my life. I hope Kyyah keeps educating, advising, and empowering people because we all need someone like her when navigating our careers!"

—Grace, 20

"After graduating from college in May 2021, I was sure the only next step for me was to pursue a career in medicine. I was a pre-health biology major throughout college and was never told there were other paths I could explore outside of medical school. I was always told that my options were to become a doctor or teach high school biology. Stumbling across Career Savage was the biggest blessing! I now know I have options outside of going to medical school. Since discovering Career Savage I have begun networking with the right people to ensure I am placed in a position that best suits my talents and interests!"

—Zakau, 21

The

Prepared

Graduate

Find Your Dream Job,

Live the Life You Want,

Step Into Your Purpose

Kyyah Abdul

Coral Gables

Copyright © 2022 by Kyyah Abdul.

Published by Mango Publishing, a division of Mango Publishing Group, Inc.

Cover Design: Vanessa Campos

Layout & Design: Carmen Fortunato

Mango is an active supporter of authors’ rights to free speech and artistic expression in their books. The purpose of copyright is to encourage authors to produce exceptional works that enrich our culture and our open society.

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The Prepared Graduate: Find Your Dream Job, Live the Life You Want, and Step Into Your Purpose

Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication number: 2021945307

ISBN: (print) 978-1-64250-756-0, (ebook) 978-1-64250-757-7

BISAC category code BUS037020, BUSINESS & ECONOMICS / Careers / Job Hunting

Printed in the United States of America

In honor of my little sister, Zafirah.

You were destined for greatness.

Contents

Introduction

Part I:    Forge Forward

Chapter 1:   The Intensifying Struggle

Chapter 2:   Your TikTok-Worthy Vacation Can Wait

Part II:    Senior Year

Chapter 3:   The Year of Lasts

Chapter 4:   Winter Break

Chapter 5:   Second Semester

Chapter 6:   A Not-So-Savage Spring Break

Chapter 7:   Savage Solitude

Part III:    Facing Reality

Chapter 8:   One Degree Hotter

Chapter 9:   A Savage Life

Afterword

About the Author

References

Introduction

Luck is preparation meeting opportunity.

—Oprah Winfrey

My biology 1 professor said to me, I don’t think you’ll be able to keep up with the class. You may want to take a semester off school.

As a first-semester freshman, I managed to get strep throat persistently. It resulted in extreme fatigue and a lack of appetite. Rather than provide solutions that would keep me on track for graduation, my professor proposed I withdraw from their class that semester. As you read through this guide, you will learn I don’t take direction from others well and this is the first example. I completed all my assignments on time and requested lecture notes from my peers, reading them while in and out of my lethargy. I completed my freshman year without withdrawing and graduated from college on time.

You’d be better off applying to community college, my high school guidance counselor said.

The standard of excellence at my high school meant having at least a 3.7 GPA. Because my average fell slightly below the standard, my counselor felt I wasn’t four-year-college material. While I encourage people to take the community college route to save money and figure out what they may want to do in life, I proudly applied to and successfully attended a four-year university.

The Career Advice Others Give

Be it subconsciously or consciously, it’s always been funny to me how people in positions of guidance sometimes manage to try to steer you further away from achieving your goals. They introduce doubt, which sometimes results in your questioning your capabilities. Living through these instances, I have learned that no one can tell you how to live your life, and, more importantly, no one should tell you exactly how to navigate your career. There are great differences between poor guidance, no guidance, and career control. My high school guidance counselor and biology 1 professor offered poor guidance, whereas my immigrant parents attempted to control my career. We will touch more on this later. As for not having guidance, well, you will learn how I associate career centers with that inaction. No matter who is around us, offering us advice or guiding us through uncharted territory, we must remain cognizant of what we want for ourselves.

Each person was created to live their life, fulfilling their unique intended purpose. If any generations understand this concept, it’s Millennials and Generation Z. We understand our careers are merely one aspect of life and refuse to become cogs in a machine or work for companies that cannot respect our needs for innovation and desires for individuality. Approximately two million people graduate from college and earn their bachelor’s degree each year.¹ Some enter the workforce, pursuing passions related to their major, and others return home to their parents lost and confused because though they have a degree, no one has opted to hire them. Some manage to swing a job at their parents’ place of employment, and some use their pricey degree to work as a cashier at Lululemon. It’s a phenomenon that’s left me puzzled since graduating from college.

I used to wonder why so many people struggle to find jobs related to their major post-college. It feels as if the answer is so simple, yet the problem persists. The issue is a lack of experience in addition to insufficient career guidance. Sure, there are career centers on each college campus, but what do they actually do, and who is running the place? Are there industry experts advising students? Do they understand the current job market? At my alma mater, the career center was known to the students as the fraternity and sorority hangout. I was always socializing nearby, but seldom was I there for career-related matters. The one time I did go, I left feeling disappointed. I don’t recall ever receiving any real advice from anyone in that building. Then there is your assigned college advisor. The one who has thousands of other students to advise in addition to a full teaching schedule. It always seems impossible to land a meeting with them and when you do get the chance to speak, the focus is on the classes you should take the upcoming semester. If the career center can’t help and advisors are too busy, who should advise students on what to do after graduation?

As a younger millennial born on the cusp of Generation Z, I consider myself a Zillennial. So, on behalf of both generations, I want to address baby boomers and Generation X. Millennials and Generation Z do not want their hands held. We actually are not lazy, despite current misconceptions. While we do not want to be coddled, we do want relevant career advice. We do want help with our LinkedIn profiles, cover letters, and résumés. We do want to know what a recruiter is and how to get in touch with one. We do want suggestions on where to work part-time while in school, and we don’t mean that typical work-study option where our day-to-day consists of signing people into the library. Beyond the Millennial and Generation Z cohorts, college students to come will likely desire the same.

I hear the outcry of young people. This is why, in this guide, I will share with you my knowledge and experience to ensure you graduate with a job in your field. After you read The Prepared Graduate, you’ll feel prepared to effectively navigate corporate America, your career, and post-graduation life. There’s no contingency plan! All you must do is follow my advice. I want nothing more than to get you one step closer to living a fulfilling life and using that degree you took out so many student loans for. Everything college students need to achieve success after college is addressed in this book.

Growing up, my traditional Nigerian mother would reiterate that her children should begin to work whenever legally possible. She didn’t care what the job was so long as we were getting experience in whatever piqued our interests. For example, if I wanted to become a police officer, she would have told me to intern at a precinct or become an assistant for a criminal defense attorney. Since I loved medicine and science, she always encouraged me to gain medical and scientific experience. Some will say it’s typical of a Nigerian American girl to pursue science, but as you read through the stories I share, you will understand that my medical pursuit was not traditional. This is important to keep in mind: your journey will look different compared to those of your peers. My journey isn’t exactly what your journey will look like. For this reason, disregard the steps your friends are taking and focus solely on your own career journey. As I focused on my career path, the one thing I never forgot was my mother’s advice on gaining professional work experience.

During my sophomore year of college, I decided it was time to get a job. I refused to work anywhere that veered from my professional development. My mother’s advice kept me on track in terms of working in places that would leave me better off come graduation day. My goal was clear: get any job related to science and/or medicine. I walked into a few CVS pharmacies telling anyone who would listen, I would like to work in the pharmacy.

Many of the technicians and pharmacists would blankly stare at me and say, Go apply online.

I opted not to apply online because I felt my application would get lost in the shuffle. Walking into every CVS within a fifteen-mile radius