As parents, teachers, mentors and friends of this year’s graduating class, we want to offer helpful advice as they face an uncertain job market and adapt to a workforce being reshaped by AI.
But in my work with college students for more than 25 years, including in my current role teaching at the Harvard Graduate School of Education, I’ve seen how well-meaning guidance can add stress during an already challenging time.
Here are three tips to support new grads so you can help reduce the pressure instead.
We often tell young people to follow their passion, but the idea of finding a singular guiding passion is overwhelming. And what we’re passionate about evolves over time.
When we make the process sound simple and linear, young people feel that they must be doing something wrong when they aren’t yet sure of their answer. Instead of asking about passion, we can ask targeted questions about interests:
