Congratulations Graduate! Now What?
- Apr 16
- 3 min read
Graduation season is almost here.
For my wife and me, that means celebrating the commencement of our younger son — the second of our two boys — who will earn his undergraduate degree in May from the University of Colorado Boulder.
Like so many parents, we’re filled with pride in his accomplishments, gratitude for what he has learned, and admiration for his resilience in surmounting many challenges.
We’re also hopeful that, if he’s not employed by then, he’s at least well on his way.
But next to pride and hope, there’s a sobering reality:
The crossing from college to employment has become more difficult than many families expected when they made their first college tuition payment.
What I’ve seen up close
Over the last two years, as part of my career advisory work as founder of IQ Catalyst, I’ve collaborated with dozens of recently graduated college students to help them make that crossing.
The good news is that, as of mid-April 2026, they are all employed.
Still, their journeys offer a useful reality check for parents who may have assumed that four (or five) years of effort, expense, and achievement would translate directly into early career traction.
Based on my work with 15 recent college graduates beginning in June 2025, a few lessons stand out.
What the market seems to reward now
Employers cared less about what these graduates studied and more about what they could actually do. They wanted proof of skills, initiative, and some approximation of real-world impact.
The “eliteness” of a college brand mattered less than the body of work a candidate had built over time. Pedigree may carry some value, but it doesn’t carry nearly as much weight as it used to.
Many colleges are sending mixed signals about AI. In many academic settings, using AI is considered cheating. Yet graduates are entering a workforce in which AI is increasingly embedded in how work gets done. That disconnect risks putting college graduates at a disadvantage, unless they proactively develop those skills in addition to (and often independent of) their college studies.
And with all due respect to college career services offices, many of my clients experienced them as being somewhere between irrelevant and completely useless.
My interpretation
Today’s graduates may need more time than expected to land their first strong-fit role.
And when they do, it may be in a role or industry they knew little about when they graduated from college. For several of my clients, that’s exactly what happened.
They may also need to hear a few hard truths. Such as: their future prospects will be informed more by the value they can create than by the name of the school on their diploma.
More than once I have shared this blunt guidance to a client:
I know it took a lot of smarts, effort, and financial support to get you through a place like Princeton, Stanford, or Georgetown. But expecting extra points for that in the interview process is unrealistic.
This is increasingly how the market works.
The encouraging part
Equipped with the right mindsets, behaviors, and tools, graduates can re-orient themselves toward the market and find their fit.
One of my recent clients is now a test engineer for an AI/Robotics company.
Another is a Privacy Advisor for a Cybersecurity company.
A third is an international arbitration paralegal for a major law firm.
A fourth works in operations for an infrastructure investment company.
Significantly, they report:
Doing work they enjoy
Learning fast
Building skills they had never heard of while in college
Feeling optimistic, despite the topsy-turvy world around them
My takeaway for parents
As tuition-paying parents head into graduation season, here is the takeaway:
A college degree guarantees less than it used to.
Your son or daughter may have more work ahead to land a first strong-fit role.
Their journey may be longer, bumpier, and less linear than your family imagined.
But clarity of vision, resilience, flexibility, and persistence still matter enormously.
Graduation is still worth celebrating. But it doesn’t get anyone across to the other side of the river (metaphorically speaking).
IQ Catalyst’s Career Boost: Activate offering is designed for college seniors and recent graduates who need help turning effort into traction as they navigate the often-bumpy path from graduation to a strong-fit first role.
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