Author: Melita Wallace Graduating from college is an incredible accomplishment. Whether you’re a first-generation graduate or following in the footsteps of a family of degree recipients, gaining a degree is definitely an outstanding achievement. With only 30.4% of Americans having a bachelor’s degree, becoming a part of that small percentage is noteworthy. All ambitious graduates are eager to prove that all those years of education paid off by landing an awesome, brag-worthy job to jumpstart their careers. Unfortunately, this is harder for most graduates than they anticipate. Post-graduation is a time filled with disappointment and discouragement for many; as a staggering 86% of graduates won’t have a single job offer more than five months after walking across the stage. Many of us buy in to the assumption that by simply having a degree listed on our resumes, we should have no problem getting hired. That’s why we attended college in the first place! We all sought the knowledge that is required to work in our field of choice and to embark on a fulfilling career that enables us to put our talents to good use. So, why is it so difficult for graduates to get jobs? With only 14% of graduates securing job offers after shortly after graduation, we must ask the question: what is the rest of the graduate population is doing wrong? Two of the main culprits are: lack of experience (by way of jobs or internships in their preferred career field during college) and a lack of soft skills. According to NACE Journal 2017, studies have indicated that, “students graduating with internship experiences are more likely to find employment upon graduation.” In fact, “Paid interns at private, for-profit companies have a 72% chance of getting a job offer” (Fortune 2017). The hands-on experience that an internship offers, not only boosts resumes but it yields tangible outcomes that not only include a better chance to receive job offers, but also leads to higher starting salaries. In addition to internships, a lack of soft skills is something that many employers are struggling to find among young job candidates. Many aspects of the American education system, even in the realm of higher education, teach students how to memorize information to score well on the numerous exams that determine their course grades. Consequently, they become masters of memorization and hard skills, but tend to lack soft skills such as time-management, teamwork and leadership. Skills such as these, make an impactful difference when it comes to things like how an employee is able to interact with customers and make presentations to potential clients. Many graduates are missing these critical skills. One viable solution to the systemic problems college grads are facing can be found in an online soft skills training company. The Success Training Institute offers the beautiful combination of internship opportunities and soft skills training curriculum; which leads to soft skills certifications. This creates a convenient one-stop-shop for college students looking to be more competitive in the job market once they graduate. The combination of these two experiences on a resume can make entering their careers of choice much easier than graduates who didn’t take the initiative to gain this experience prior to earning their degree. The courses are priced to fit almost any budget (even a college student’s) and each class is delivered in segments of 8 minutes or less. So while college students all over the US are out tailgating and making toasts with Solo cups during the football season, consider all the future toasts to success YOU can make when you walk across the stage knowing you’ve already landed the job of your dreams.