The pivot from finishing high school, college, or graduate school to landing one’s first job is often filled with anxiety. If you are like most recent grads, you have zero idea of how to approach your job search — unless you are one of the smart or lucky students who proactively sought help or had an amazing career development department. The truth is many grads lack foundational knowledge in how to interview, write a winning cover letter and a resume, use LinkedIn, and most importantly, how to be proactive, tenacious, and confident in their career search instead of waiting for it to unfold passively. And that’s assuming they know what field they want to explore. As a mother of two Gen Z daughters and the mentor to a handful of young women who’ve interned at SheVentures podcast, I’ve witnessed the need for quality job guidance firsthand. When I received a review copy of Beth Hendler-Grunt’s practical manual, The Next Great Step: The Parents’ Guide to Launching Your New Grad Into A Career, I knew I wanted to speak to her about the book as well as her role as the enterprising founder of Next Great Step, a company dedicated to guiding recent graduates through the transition from school to the job market. A proud mother to two college-age sons, living the transition in real-time, Hendler-Grunt brings a unique, empathetic perspective to her work. With decades of robust professional experience prior to founding Next Great Step, Hendler-Grunt leverages her workplace expertise and uses it to inform her job-seeking strategies, help grads understand their talents, and acknowledge and confidently articulate their professional value. Next Great Step is a one-stop shop for some quality free checklists and videos. Hendler-Grunt embraces a B2B2C business model where she helps students, parents, colleges, universities, and corporates looking to hire recent grads or provide internship opportunities. Highlights Let’s address the elephant in the room: Graduates’ mismanagement of expectations in job search, their lack of coping mechanism for rejection, and how they can learn positive and proactive tools, habits, and mindset. If you are still in school — even a freshman — learn what you can do to build career readiness. Why clarity and educated risk-taking matter What gender differences has Hendler-Grunt seen in career challenges? Find out how to apply your professional acumen for your children’s benefit while respecting their independence. Create a culture of trust with your children through candid communication. Develop an effective career mentorship structure fitted to the individual requirements of the young adults around you. Unearth the powerful secret to successfully pivoting careers and thriving in today’s volatile job market. Discover the transformative value of embracing failures and missteps in your career path. Learn practical strategies to smooth your transition from academia to the professional world, which will add value to your early career journey. Unearth the hidden significance of internships and how they provide critical industry insights. Understand the pressing challenges university career services face, how this might affect your journey, and how you can advocate for yourself. Learn how to hone your skills to distinctively shine in the competitive job market. Buy Hendler-Grunt’s book, The Next Great Step: The Parents’ Guide to Launching Your New Grad Into A Career, or visit Next Great Step online if you are a student, a parent, a career services office, or a corporation. Next Great Step offers a myriad of ways to help in this essential transition.
