Expert offers advice to recent grads
May 17, 2012
Those graduating from college this spring are sure to get advice from a lot of different people - their family members, friends and professors, for instance. However, many may be discouraged at some of the unsolicited advice they receive regarding the job market and their career.
The author of a book on prosperity is weighing in as well, by offering these new graduates some of his own advice - ignore the negativity.
"Their challenge is to not take in the negative messages," Charles Richards, author of The Psychology of Wealth: Understand Your Relationship with Money and Achieve Prosperity, recently told the Pittsburgh Post Gazette. "[Defeat] does not have to be their story even though they are starting their careers at one of the most challenging times in history. They have to consider what they want to manifest in their lives in terms of goals and financial success. What you focus on is what you will get."
While Richards advises grads to focus on the positive and work hard to achieve your dreams, the class of 2012 can feel confident in the employment picture.
A recent survey conducted by the National Association of Colleges and Employers (NACE) revealed that employers expect to hire 10.2 percent more new college graduates from the class of 2012 than they did from the class of 2011.
In addition, NACE reports that the average salary for new graduates is up 4.5 percent this year to $42,569 per year.
Data confirms that those who have a bachelor's degree are likely to make significantly more money throughout their working lives, compared to those who don't graduate from college. According to recent research from the Pew Research Center, over the course of a 40-year career, college graduates are expected to make about $650,000 more than those without a college degree.
Moms who have achieved their dream of earning a bachelor's degree should remember that doing so will not only increase their earning potential and make them more attractive to potential employers, but it will also show their children the importance of education.
Luckily, most can rely on grants for parents, college scholarships and other financial aid to make going to college financially possible.
