Dear college graduate, here are a few tips for you as you enter the real world ...

To quote the great Dr. Seuss, "Congratulations! Today is your day. You're off to Great Places! You're off and away!"

Ah, college graduation. A day of endings and of new beginnings. Some of you will cross that stage with your 5-to-10 year plan already filed away. Others may have big dreams but no sense of how to achieve them.

When I graduated from college 8 years ago, I was simultaneously excited and petrified. But through the kindness of those wiser - and through many mistakes that I made on my own - I began to slowly figure things out. I don't think we'll ever know everything, but I want to pass along a few of the things I've learned.

• BE NICE. TO EVERYONE.  This is self explanatory and also the most important thing worth mentioning. Your accolades and accomplishments won't impress anyone if you're not nice. Treat everyone with kindness. From the most celebrated executive to the person who cleans your office. Just be nice. Bonus: remember your manners. Thank people who go out of their way to help you. Let people know that you appreciate them. A hand written thank you card can go a long way. If 77-year old Bill Snyder (who is an actual legend) can write notes on the regular, so can you.
• DON'T BE ENTITLED. The number one knock against millennials is the entitlement of the generation. Don't fuel the fire by going into a job and thinking that you're better than anyone or anything, ESPECIALLY at the beginning of  your career. Acknowledge that you don't know everything (because none of us do). Listen. Learn. Rinse and repeat. In my first job, I literally spent an afternoon picking up dead bugs off the floor in an non air conditioned gym in the middle of Chicago in the summer. I've picked up gallons of coffee and dozens of bagels to bring to set. I've driven to high school football games in the middle of nowhere on many a Friday night. I've worked almost every single New Years Eve since I graduated from college. But in those moments, your character is developed - and let me tell you, it's an opportunity to impress people. In sports, many young people reach out for advice or for recommendations or internships. The people who lead the pack are the ones who are willing to do the grunt work. Someone once told me that you're only at the beginning of your career once. You should enjoy every moment, even the ones that test your patience, because one day, you'll look back on those days and marvel "look how far I've come."
• THE INTERNET IS FOREVER. I am #blessed that Twitter, Instagram, Snapchat, and the like did not exist when I was in college. But Class of 2017, it exists now - and like it or not, what you put on social media and on the internet in general WILL leave an impression on future employers. I've looked up potential intern applicants on social media ... and then tossed their resumes in the NO file because of how they represented themselves online. I'm not the only one. Don't be that person who doesn't land their dream job because of something stupid you've said on Twitter.
• NEVER STOP LEARNING. My mom once told me, "remember, you are your own CEO." This advice is something that I freely pass along to others. In your life, you may work for one company. You may work for 30 companies. You may one day work for yourself. Regardless, you should take every opportunity you can to better yourself, whether it's an online class, a master's degree, or even a YouTube tutorial. The worst thing you can do in your career, and in your life, really, is to remain stagnant. The world and technology are constantly changing. There is always going to be someone younger than you who is eager and coming for your job. And apparently, we're soon going to have to worry about robots making humankind obsolete. So what do we do? We learn. Every intelligent person I know has done something to better themselves since graduating. Maybe you actually don't like your job. Maybe you're not sure what you want to do next. But if you have the mindset that you are the CEO of the FIRST NAME LAST NAME corporation, you begin to see opportunities pop up all over the place, and those opportunities can help you take your next step.
• GOOGLE BEFORE YOU ASK. The first thing my brother told me as I prepared to start my career was to never ask a question to which I could find the answer myself. And the good news is, we have a tool to make this really easy: Google. By all means, ask your questions. You should always be learning (see bullet point above). But if it's something that a quick Google search can answer for you, then, for the love of everything, please just find the answer yourself.
  
• TRIPLE CHECK YOUR RESUME FOR GRAMMATICAL ERRORS. I was once asked in an interview about my biggest pet peeve. It was a question for which I hadn't prepared, but without hesitation, I blurted out "bad grammar." It is 2017. Spell check exists on your computer, your iPhone, your iPad, your Microsoft Surface, your Kindle Fire, and any other device you could own. Spell check is your friend. Grammar is your friend. Consistency is your friend. Do yourself a favor and check your resume, cover letter, and any other materials you may be sending to a prospective employer for any and all grammatical errors ... and then check it again.
• BE UNCOMFORTABLE. Since I graduated in 2009, I've lived in four different cities - New York, Los Angeles, Austin, and now, Fort Worth. I've become really good at moving. I know firsthand how hard it is to make friends in a new city. But the experiences - both really wonderful and really difficult - have shaped me into the person I am today. Allowing myself the opportunity to become uncomfortable has shaped me into a tougher and more empathetic person. It has broadened my career opportunities and taught me things I would have never learned if I had just played it safe. It has humanized me, and it has led me to some of the best friendships in my life. Every person I know who has done the same - really left their comfort zone, even if just for a short while - is better because of those experiences. Be brave. Say yes to new opportunities. Be okay with being uncomfortable.

 College graduate, I am so excited for you. Your next adventure is beginning and it can take you anywhere you want to go. Take chances, make mistakes, and be grateful and willing to learn every single day. Dream big but be patient. There's no shortcut.

Be humble, be kind, and remember that the world does not owe you anything, but that everything is possible if you work hard. Congratulations on this milestone ... and welcome to the real world.

---