Congratulations on Your Graduation! But Were You Ever Educated about Life After Graduation?: What You Really Need to Know!

By Lee Black

If I could go back in time to when I graduated from high school or college, there is just one graduation gift that I really wish that someone had given to me. It is THIS book!

This is THE book that would have actually prepared me for life after graduation, it is about the real world, and it is filled with t

• Language: English
• Publisher: Lee Black
• Release date: Jul 19, 2023
• ISBN: 9781088196465

Book preview

Introduction

If I could go back in time to when I graduated from high school or college, there is just one graduation gift that I really wish that someone had given to me. It is THIS book!

This is THE book that would have actually prepared me for life after graduation, it is about the real world, and it is filled with the ultimate truths that have taken me half a lifetime to uncover! This book is ideal for everyone. This is the final textbook that every graduate needs to ace the most important test of all, the test of life!

Students live in an artificial and unrealistic world where their success is based on memorizing and regurgitating facts and figures. Students adapt to a classroom world where they are fairly judged against others based on their memory and their ability to follow provided instructions. There usually are no work place politics or bias judgements on one’s appearance and background in the classroom. Students only need to face mostly fair and objective tests. In our educational institutions there is little or no mention about how every aspect of one’s appearance and background will be unfairly judged by the world that awaits them after graduation.

Students are often told how intelligent they are, but are never actually taught how to think. They solve no real life problems, but they make the Dean’s list. They are not taught how to generate a creative or original thought, but get an A by summarizing a book created by someone else. Often students are simply told what to think from the bias perspective of their teacher and their educational institution. So when they graduate they actually have no education on how to think independently, or on how to handle their life.

When I graduated everyone told me how smart I was, and they seemed to imply that getting all those A grades and degrees completely prepared me for the future. But deep down inside I had so many unanswered questions, I found out the hard way that I was completely uneducated for the rest of my life after graduation!

Here are the unanswered life questions that I struggled with: How do you interview for a job? How do you improve your job performance? How do you deal with human bias and work place politics? How do you move up in your career? How do you start and grow your own business? How do you manage your money? How do you stay fit and healthy? How do you build strong positive relationships? How do you stay fit and healthy? And the ultimate question - How do you get more joy in life?

So now, looking back on it all, I decided to create the book that answers the questions I had when I graduated. This is THE GRADUATION BOOK and THE REST OF YOUR LIFE BOOK! The truths revealed here will entertain you and shock you! But ultimately this is THE higher education textbook that will allow you to achieve more, to have more, and to enjoy more for the rest of your life!

1

How to Interview for a Job

Most graduates are aware of the basic information on interviewing which we will look at next, but you were never taught the three key points which will be revealed at the end of this chapter.

First we need to be aware of the basics of handling a job interview below:

If you are expected to submit a resume, then submit one. A resume is a chance for you to list your relevant education, work experience, and skills for the job you seek. It is also a way to advertise your strengths to an employer which makes it easier for the interviewer to interview you, to recommend you to other hiring managers, and to justify hiring you. Make sure your resume highlights the reasons why you are a great candidate for the job. If you do not bother to connect the dots from you to the job you seek, then it is unlikely the interviewer will bother to hire you.

Do your research. Learn as much as you can about the company and the position you are applying for. This will show the interviewer that you are interested in the job and that you have taken the time to prepare.

Be on time. Punctuality shows that you are respectful of the interviewer's time and that you are serious about the job. An interviewer will logically assume that you will always be late to work if you can not even show up for the interview on time!

Dress professionally. First impressions matter, so make sure you dress appropriately for the interview. This doesn't mean you have to wear a suit, but you should dress in clean, neat, and professional attire.

Be polite and respectful. This means using good manners, being respectful of the interviewer's time, and avoiding negative comments about past employers or experiences. We all have negative experiences and there are many horrible employers and bosses, but you want the interviewer to think back on your interview and smile.

Be prepared to answer questions. The interviewer will likely ask you a variety of questions about your skills, experience, and why you are interested in the job. Often they will use open ended broad questions like, Tell me about yourself? Be prepared to answer these questions in a clear, concise, and confident manner. And figure out a way to talk about your strengths in your answers.

Ask questions. At the end of the interview, you will likely have the opportunity to ask the interviewer questions. This is your chance to learn more about the company and the position. Be sure to ask thoughtful questions that show you are interested in the job. Not asking questions will be interpreted by some interviewers as no interest or enthusiasm for the job. Remember in some ways you are also interviewing the employer to decide if they meet your standards, so ask some questions to learn about them.

Follow up. After the interview, you can send a thank-you note to the interviewer. This is a great way to reiterate your interest in the job, to thank the interviewer for their time, and to increase the chances of getting the job.

Be yourself. Don't try to be someone you're not. The interviewer will be able to tell if you're being fake, and it will hurt your chances of getting the job. Another important reason to be yourself will be mentioned a little bit later in this book.

Be positive. Smile, make eye contact, and speak in a clear and confident voice. Show the interviewer that you are excited about the job and that you would be a valuable asset to the company. If you do not show a positive interest in them and the job, they will most likely lose interest in hiring you.

Be prepared to sell yourself. The interviewer wants to know why you are the best person for the job. Be prepared to talk about your skills, experience, and why you would be a good fit for the company.

Be confident. Believe in yourself and your abilities. If you don't believe in yourself, then no one else will. This is especially true of an interviewer who has never met you.

Ok all of the information above is what most people are able to figure out with a little digging and help. Next we will look into three points about interviews we are rarely if ever taught in educational institutions or anywhere else - the one and only interview question, the timing of your interview, and what your interview goal should be.

The One and Only Interview Question

Every interview question is asking just one question, and when you know the question, and how to answer it, then you will nail your interviews!

Scholars, HR professionals, administrators, highly educated, and very intelligent individuals all try to create the perfect interview questions for all different types of jobs and professions. What I have figured out later in life after interviewing hundreds of candidates for different businesses and my own businesses is it is all bull…., well you know.

My experience is that most highly educated and intelligent interviewers actually have no idea how to interview or even what they are looking for. So they hide behind a bunch of confusing meaningless ineffective random questions and evaluation techniques. Some even have a long list of questions the interviewer must ask the candidate.

One of the most foolish things people do in life is make simple things complicated. I believe this actually shows one’s ignorance, lack of understanding, and insecurity.

For an example of how anyone can make a simple thing complex and confusing I will use a math equation. A math equation can express the number 42 in a simple or a complex way or