Last updated on October 8, 2020
Question:
Hello Mr. Hamilton,
Thank you for your response. Do you have any advice on how to succeed in college, and how to find a job after college? I have heard that besides studying, employers want college graduates to have a passion for their job and have strong communication skills.
Answer:
“Whatever your hand finds to do, do it with your might; for there is no work or device or knowledge or wisdom in the grave where you are going” (Proverbs 9:10).
Don’t get caught up in sin
It is easy to look at being on your own without your parents watching over you as a time to play as much as you want. “Act as free men, and do not use your freedom as a covering for evil, but use it as bondslaves of God” (II Peter 2:16). Now is the time to demonstrate responsibility and not carelessness. More people fail because of drugs, alcohol, sex, and other distractions. The things of God are the things that will cause you to succeed.
Don’t get lazy
It isn’t difficult to stay on top of your workload if you make yourself work each day, but it is amazing how fast you will fall behind with just a little slacking off. “I passed by the field of the sluggard and by the vineyard of the man lacking sense, and behold, it was completely overgrown with thistles; its surface was covered with nettles, and its stone wall was broken down. When I saw, I reflected upon it; I looked, and received instruction. “A little sleep, a little slumber, a little folding of the hands to rest,” then your poverty will come as a robber and your want like an armed man” (Proverbs 24:30-34).
Work
Too many students get a good education but upon graduation, they have no work experience. Employers are reluctant to hire someone without some proof that they can handle working for another person. “Sow your seed in the morning and do not be idle in the evening, for you do not know whether morning or evening sowing will succeed, or whether both of them alike will be good” (Ecclesiastes 11:6). Be willing to take a low paying job to prove you are able to work. Find work in your chosen field if possible. Look into the cooperative education program or the intern programs at your school. Even if it means graduating a year later, being able to have real work experience on your resume will make you stand out among all the other graduates. Working also helps you learn where the jobs may be located and you can talk to others in your field about what qualities are important to the managers.
Relax
Make sure to enjoy your breaks because they will recharge you. “Rejoice, young man, during your childhood, and let your heart be pleasant during the days of young manhood. And follow the impulses of your heart and the desires of your eyes. Yet know that God will bring you to judgment for all these things. So, remove grief and anger from your heart and put away pain from your body, because childhood and the prime of life are fleeting” (Ecclesiastes 11:9-10). But don’t forget that you are still accountable for your actions. Enjoy good, clean fun.