Advice For The Post-College Job Search

Forbes

14-04-2025

Careers by the People: Candid Career Advice from 101 Experienced Professionals
It's April – for college seniors, that means graduation is approaching, and the job search is in full swing. Mike Wysocki's Careers By the People is a great resource for those students thinking about their first professional job.
Wysocki's book stands out because it doesn't lecture—it listens. Instead of offering generic career advice or rigid checklists, it gives readers a front-row seat to 101 real career stories, from electrical engineers and tax accountants to journalists, farmers, and actors. Wysocki asks the questions we're all thinking about but often fail to ask, such as: What's actually frustrating about this job? What are your coworkers like? What are the biggest misconceptions about your field? And would you choose this job again if given the chance? The answers, straight from professionals themselves, are illuminating—and often surprising.
Curious to learn more about Wysocki and his motivations for writing Careers By the People, I reached out with a few questions. I first asked him how his career journey influenced this book. Wysocki shared, 'In college and during my early twenties, I did not prepare for the workforce. I did try a few occupations and failed, but I didn't do any homework or prep work on what I should do with myself. My simple belief was to get a job, and the company will train you.' Wysocki was raised in a low-income area and was a first-generation college student. Like many first-generation college students, Wysocki lacked social capital and looked for 'jobs (not careers) that paid well.' His first job was selling computers, and as he shared, 'It wasn't a joy, but it paid the bills.' However, it didn't take long before he was 'fed up' with the job and quit.
Mike Wysocki, author of Careers by the People
Wysocki moved to Los Angeles thinking he could write a movie script and sell it for 'big cash.' When that didn't work out, he went back to tech sales. He shared that during this time, he was bored and decided to ask people about their jobs—lots of people. Over time, he spoke with more than 100 individuals in different professions, compiling their experiences and insights into what would become Careers By the People. His aim was simple: to help others, especially students like his younger self, make more informed, thoughtful career choices.
The book features 101 different occupations. I asked Wysocki how he picked the particular jobs. He stated, 'I wanted to get occupations from all over industry; from CEO to actuary to accountant to farmer, … all parts of the US and all professions.'
Of interest, Wysocki categorizes careers using a modern interpretation of Holland's Occupational Themes. For those not familar with Holland's theory, which is known as the RIASEC model, it is a theory that categorizes individuals and occupations into six personality types. These include realistic, investigative, artistic, social, enterprising, and conventional. I was curious about how he believes this framework aids readers in understanding and choosing their career paths. He said, 'I always inform students to narrow their job search down to three industries they enjoy. Once they are in that industry, they can network and bounce around the company, so at least they know that industry well." Wysocki added, 'Holland made it simple with six easy-to-understand categories. I updated the categories with modern language" that would appeal to graduating students.
An interesting aspect of Wysocki's book is that it includes careers that one could pursue without a college degree, as a new college graduate, and as one is moving up in their career. His approach is aspirational for the reader.
Many career readiness books are written by educators for educators. These types of books are often resources for guidance counselors and career center staff. Wysocki states, 'This approach is needed as the divide between industry and education is huge. However, books also need to focus on the buyer, the 15-25-year-old student. You have to capture their attention and have fun. My book has quotes from rock stars to presidents to movie actors. Why not make career readiness fun?'
The last question I asked Wysocki was what advice he would give educators, counselors, or parents who want to use his book. He shared, 'Careers By the People is a guide on preparing students for the workforce. There are many uses, so there are 'talking points' at the end of the book." He added, 'If a student meets a person in a field of interest, here are a few questions to ask. In the book, I ask 20+ questions; maybe they ask a few of them or go directly to the talking points.' Wysocki also thinks it is important to 'speak with people who have left the profession,' stating, 'Why would someone quit their job as a lawyer or a teacher" can tell you a lot about the profession.
Wysocki sees the liberal arts as critical to broad thinking and meaningful work. But he's clear: a degree alone isn't enough. Colleges must intentionally connect academic learning to career readiness. Students deserve to graduate with both knowledge and the confidence to step into the world of work.
In a time when career anxiety is high and the transition from college to career feels murky for many, Careers By the People offers clarity and honesty. The book reminds us that careers are not static choices but evolving journeys shaped by our values, experiences, and questions. And perhaps the most important thing we can do for our students is help them ask better questions.