The Post-Grad Struggle

Is struggling in your career a
completely normal, run-of-the-mill thing?

I hate to even admit this, being a Type A person, but lately I’ve been feeling a bit like I’m struggling at work. It’s a mix of “Argh! I don’t know what I’m doing!” and “Why won’t you let me do my job!” served up with a huge side of anxiety about life in general.

While I don’t like admitting that I feel a little overwhelmed and a bit lost, I feel that opening up about it is a good way to figure it out, especially since I know I’m not alone in it.

I like to think of it as “The Post Grad Struggle.” I know there are graduate students and some pros who suffer from the same doubt-inducing affliction. But I don’t know a single twenty-something that hasn’t thought, to themselves or aloud, “I don’t have a single clue about what to do or how to do this.”

In PR, and fields like it, one of the problems is that we learn a lot of theory and a lot of ideas, but even our best classes are taught in a vacuum of sorts. Not much can teach us better than being thrown into situations and having to succeed – i.e. working in the real world.

“Fake it til ya make it” is a phrase I’ve heard tossed around like it’s an actual solution to the Post Grad Struggle. Don’t fall for it. Faking it isn’t a way to find a career that you love, become successful or make it through life unless your chosen career is acting. Sure, thinking on your feet is a valuable skill, but there’s a fine line between being clever and being full of it – a thin line that can get you into a world of ethical trouble.

Admitting that you don’t know something isn’t a weakness. Neither is admitting that you’re struggling. Both are admirable qualities and are things your bosses, coworkers and loved ones will appreciate, but within reason.

If you’re in over your head at work, ask for help and succeed as a team. If you don’t have an answer to an important question, admit it and find one. Being honest and putting in the work to learn will get you further than faking it ever will.

How do you handle the Post Grad Struggle? What’s the best career advice you’ve heard?