About

Hi, and welcome to NewGradHandbook.com, a new web-log (“blog”) service focused upon the career development needs of University and College graduates. The transition from education into the workplace is a significant one and yet few degree programs (or even career services) offer great insight into what lies ahead for new grads as they launch their careers. And while hiring companies spend enormous sums on the recruitment and early training of their new grads they don’t ever really tackle the Organizational Behavior and Career Strategy techniques essential for their new grad hires to master if they’re to succeed in the corporate world. NewGradHandbook.com fills this gap by addressing these relevant and important topics essential for new grads to understand as they embark upon the early years of their career.

The opinions expressed through this site are not limited to a particular organization, industry or location and therefore are not biased to a particular set of individuals. Rather, they reflect the knowledge and experience of contributors sourced from many fields and locations. Blogs are targeted at new University / College graduates assumed to be aged between 20 and 30 years (ie: those part of the Millennial generation) who are seeking success in a corporate career. NewGradHandbook.com is not, of course, exclusive to this group and welcomes membership from anybody interested in and willing to contribute to the topics opined upon. My name is RJ and I am the primary author of content. In the 15 years of my career to date, I have progressed from being a new grad to managing a global team across multiple locations for a Fortune 500 company. I am currently based in the UK but have lived and worked in the US, Asia and Europe in a highly competitive industry. I have recruited and mentored new graduates from a multitude of academic disciplines and backgrounds and have seen many go on to achieve great success. The views, as expressed on this site are therefore based upon this experience. Other contributions will come from colleagues, mentors and contacts across multiple regions and industries. The information and experience imparted should therefore be varied and hopefully interesting. It is not intended for the views presented here to be considered instructional and readers should not expect to find their careers mapped out for them on the pages of this site. What readers will find however is debate and opinion on complex subjects, an understanding of which can often be pivotal in determining speed of career progression. It will though remain entirely up to the reader to decide how best or indeed whether to implement behaviors discussed on this site to assist them maximize their own achievements.

In preparation for launch, it felt appropriate to try and summarize the raison d’etre for NewGradHandbook.com in a mission statement. What emerged is as follows:

NewGradHandbook.com exists to provide un-biased advice on the issues and concerns of University graduate entry-level employees during the first 5 years of their career. Our intention is to assist every new graduate achieve an optimal start to their career based upon a fundamental belief that the long term success of this group will secure the long term prospects for all.

If you share this goal and wish to participate, please sign up and read on. There is much for us to talk about!

RJ