I Just Graduated ... Now What?: Honest Answers from Those Who Have Been There

by Katherine Schwarzenegger Pratt

The guide all college graduates need as they embark on life in the real world
 
Graduation is a time of tough questions whose answers we don’t—and sometimes can’t—know the day we receive our diploma. Determined to power through the uncertainty of post-graduation, bestselling author Katherine Schwarzenegger embarked on a yearlong quest to gather the best guidance possible from more than thirty highly successful people working in fields like business, media, fashion, technology, sports, and philanthropy.
 
Along the way, Katherine uncovered the essential and often surprising advice they have for graduates, including answers to questions
• How do I find my first job in a tough economy?
• How do I decide between a career that pays well and one that I’m passionate about?
• How do I balance work with friends, relationships, and family?
• Should I take a “gap year” before starting my first job?
• What should I do about my student loan debt?
 
Drawing on the stories and real-life experiences of contributors such as Anderson Cooper, Eva Longoria, Blake Mycoskie of TOMS shoes, Lauren Bush Lauren, Andy Cohen, Meghan McCain, Gayle King, and more, Katherine has written the must-have guide for recent and soon-to-be graduates as they prepare to seek success and fulfillment in their work, relationships, and lives.

Genres: Nonfiction, Self Help, Adult

288 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 2014

About the author

Katherine Schwarzenegger Pratt is a New York Times best-selling author, animal advocate, daughter, sister, wife and step-mom. As a passionate animal advocate, Katherine works as an Ambassador for Best Friends Animal Society and the ASPCA, lending her time, voice and energy to spread awareness about animal rescue. As an author, Katherine has skillfully translated her own personal experiences into all of her books that speak to her generation.

Her first book, NY Times best seller, Rock What You’ve Got, spoke to young women struggling with self esteem, body image issues and documented Schwarzenegger Pratt’s own personal journey to self-confidence. Her second book, I just Graduated…Now What? offers advice and anecdotes from several well-known people, for young people as they embark on their journey out of college into the real world.

Her third book and her first children’s book, Maverick and Me, is a heartwarming book about the wonders and benefits of pet adoption and chronicles Katherine’s real life experiences with fostering dogs eventually leading to the adoption of her rescue, named Maverick.

Katherine’s latest book, The Gift of Forgiveness, (debuting March 2020), is an inspiring must read for people of all ages, all walks of life, and all spiritual practices. She interviews more than 20 people who have worked hard, and are still working hard, to overcome unforgivable and unimaginable experiences.

Katherine lives with her family in Los Angeles.

Reviews

[Chrissy Martin · Rating 3 out of 5]

sometimes i was really inspired and thought "wow, katherine is super normal and just like me" and then she would throw in stuff about how jillian michaels came to workout with her and her mom and then i remembered that her dad is the govenator.

[David Failing · Rating 2 out of 5]

I fail to understand why a book about what to do after graduation featured interviews with so many dropouts and even a few folks who didn't finish high school. Some good advice in the end, but a lot of Katherine's comments introducing the interviews described inspirations that only a privileged white girl would have. Did not enjoy, would not recommend.

[Devon · Rating 1 out of 5]

I did not finish this book. I placed it on hold from the library without reading who the author was and it wasn't until I picked it up that I realized Katherine wrote it which made me concerned. This is primarily because I know that her experiences after college would not be the same as mine as she comes from a completely different financial background than I did. I still gave it a chance because I thought I was making unfair judgements. I read a good amount before I put it down and simply never got back to it. I could not relate to the majority of the advice in this book. Most of the people included had some kind of advantage be it a well to do family or great connections that don't always line up for people who do not have that kind of privilege. There were only a couple of people from backgrounds similar to my own and I could relate but that was it.

I was really hoping for something that was different from most of the post-college advice I've came across: advice that did not assume that you are free of responsibilities in your 20s especially financial ones. A lot of advice will tell people to travel, find yourself, don't worry about a job because you don't have a spouse or kids or bills to worry about. Except I do have bills, I do have responsibilities, and as much as I'd love to travel and the like it's simply not possible for me at this point in my life and I would like more practical advice. I did not find it in this book.

[Katherine · Rating 2 out of 5]

Just featured short essays regarding random successful people's choices in life path. Not relatable to anyone else as all of their decisions were extremely specific to them. Also all of the successful people had achieved random things. Overall, the book had no consistent theme or takeaway. It was not the worst thing ever but wasn't inspiring either.

[Susan · Rating 1 out of 5]

I picked up this book from the library because I thought the premise was interesting and that I might learn something. It's a collection of stories from mostly famous people on how they found their career paths. The author opens with a rather long winded chapter about why she thought this type of book was necessary. Each individual story thereafter also includes some words about how she met the person, why she admires them etc. I enjoyed some stories such as that of Anderson Cooper and John Legend. They were trying to break into something without much guidance in the beginning. They eventually find their way after some trial and error. Sara Blakely's story is also interesting, she is the founder of Spanx, the shapewear company. But overall, I thought a large number of the stories lacked depth. I was especially disappointed with Serena Williams story. Yes, she is a tennis star but she has also launched a nail polish line, there was very little about how she went about branching into these new fields. Or are we to assume that it was a natural offshoot because of her current status? That it just happened without much effort? From some other stories, it is clear that the individuals involved got opportunities that are very difficult to come by because of their family pedigree/social status. There are two useful chapters at the end, one on dealing with college debt and another on moving back home. But then again this is information that can be gleaned from other sources. For example, there are plenty of books on dealing with financial matters that will provide more in-depth information.

I did find it rather odd that one of the stories features someone who dropped out of college but later on faked a college diploma in order to get a job. Okay, we all get that college is not for everyone, and some people leave. But I would have preferred to see some advice for those who dropped out at whatever stage in terms of marketing themselves. Outright lying has worked for some people--->but only because they were not caught. People have been stripped of positions and even degrees because of faking their credentials and other forms of deceit. This is a huge flaw IMO.

Overall, this book falls short of expectations and you might be better off hunting for biographies of people you admire or whose path in life you may want to emulate to some degree.

[Daniel · Rating 1 out of 5]

Unless you’re lucky enough to finish college with a job offer, nonetheless you will end up lost for a moment, asking “Now what?”

My advice would be: live your life, and don’t worry too much about the money. Work to live, don’t live to work. I’m not much of anyone though. You don’t have any reason to listen to me. What’s to say that my approach won’t end in pain and misery and loneliness by age 29? Better to look to those who have proven themselves successful, Katherine Schwarzenegger says.

This is the approach Katherine Schwarzenegger (of the Schwarzeneggers) takes in her book (Anthology? Interview Collection? Curated Collection?) “I Just Graduated… Now What? — Honest Answers From Those Who Have Been There.” This book is a collection of essays written by famous figures about the path they took to success. Seems interesting enough, but unfortunately, it does not deliver on its potential. Book is dead boring and seriously lacking in insight.

Reading this book is no more helpful than asking all the adults you know how they got their jobs.

The stories contained within are random and the collection has no underlying thesis or thread. Some of the contributors never even graduated college, which seems a bit disingenuous for a book which is ostensibly about how to leverage your college education. Not that these dropouts have nothing to say— I’d actually argue that their chapters are the most focused and relevant, especially when put besides say, Serena Williams’ one-page essay which essentially says “I made sure to do other things so I’m not fucked when my tennis career ends.” Thanks, Serena.


Review continued: http://thisisyouth.org/2014/11/13/i-j...

[Sandra · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book isn't the worst, but it isn't the best. I thought it was interesting to read everyone's stories, but they were so short they read more like narratives than analysis of what worked and what didn't and why. Because each story was only a few pages, it couldn't really explain the periods of failure and success for each person. But it was a nice primer of the different entrepreneurs and I always like hearing what they would say to those starting out.

Also, her introductions threw me off. I thought they were too long and repetitive. More space could have been dedicated to diving deeper to each story. Or we could have been allowed to make our own conclusions; I felt the intros sort of told you what you should get out of the following story, when each person could learn something different.

[Talia]

Meh. This read like a sweeping graduation speech overloaded with cliches.

[Isha · Rating 3 out of 5]

Great book for anyone who just graduated college or needs a little bit of inspiration and motivation in their life. I found the advice from each person to be really short and to the point, which is great for a book like this. Looking at other reviews, many people spoke negatively about the opportunity that some of the people in this book had and how it may not be as relatable to a "regular" person. I can see how that can come across, but I found that if you look beyond that, the advice given in this book is more applicable to the greater picture.

[Samantha · Rating 3 out of 5]

I expect hundreds of recent college grads and high school graduates are seeking answers to their many questions. As a young person in the midst of college I have questions that need answers as well such as “How do I find my first job in a tough economy?” or “Should I take a gap year before starting my first job?”. Schwarzenegger’s book seeks to answer these questions, but it falls short in its endeavor.

Schwarzenegger compiles a neat pile of personal anecdotes of some well-known people. Before each person’s individual response, she offers an introduction to each person through her own personal anecdote and her opinion on the individual and what makes them so great.

Unfortunately, most of the people she interviewed were non-millennials (if that’s a good way to put it). There was probably a handful of young people under thirty she interviewed. Many of the people interviewed graduated before 2008 (before the recession) so I feel as if they’re advice isn’t really helpful in our current situation.

A common theme in all their responses was the fact that success is not instantaneous. You have to work hard for what you want to accomplish. The road to your ‘ultimate career goal’ isn’t a straight line, but a bumpy road full of crossroads and potholes and that’s okay, according to them.

I found it difficult to relate to their stories. For example, Serena Williams is 32, a young woman who shreds on the tennis court. Okay, that’s good and all, but I don’t play tennis. I love watching it and I like watching her dominate, but her story wasn’t helpful.

The adults telling their stories were insightful and interesting, but they seemed out of place. These adults don’t have the same difficulties we’ll have to face and have faced. They were able to get experience prior to the recession. I’m also assuming they don’t have to deal with student loans anymore because *ahem* they’re old and many of them are actors, sports stars, and nightly news anchors.

There were some nice words of wisdom on their part. I even annotated a few passages from their words, just for future reference. The last two passages may be the most helpful, so if you plan on picking this up, read those parts first – Dealing with College Loan Debt and When Moving Home Meets Mixed Emotions – then move on to the various essays.

Just to put this book into better perspective, those questions I listed earlier were in the inside jacket of the book and in no shape or form do I believe she or any contributor to the book offered a good concise answer to those two questions (let me know if you think otherwise).

Rating: 2.5 out of 5

Quotable Quotes: “One piece of advice I offer to young people is to remember that the job and the career that you want to find yourself in may not even exist today.” – Laysha Ward.

“You are responsible for how you respond to everything that is done to you.” – Darren Hardy

Recommended For: non fiction, self help, recent grads

[Sam · Rating 4 out of 5]

I enjoyed this book. It wasn't really advice, per se, more like stories of famous people. However, there were many famous people I greatly admire in here and it was cool to hear their stories. Some of my favorites include: Eva Langoria, Anderson Cooper, the woman who invented Spanx, the man who started Toms, the woman who started Sprinkles, and the woman who started Drybar. I especially enjoyed these ones.

Okay, so obviously, Schwartzenegger has famous parents. I thought that because of her connections and who she is, that she was a perfect person to write this book. I also loved that she interviewed her parents (it was very cute but it is also a reminder that we can look to them for guidance). The two chapters about her mother and father were very interesting and contained some good advice.

The parts I did not like about this book were the essays that focused less on the experience of the person being interviewed and were more preachy. One particular essay actually gave me anxiety because of it's preachy tone.

Some of the people in this book did not go to college which, at first, is strange because this book is about what to do after college, however, I found it humbling that there are people in the book that skipped out on college but were successful anyways. It shows that you shouldn't let anything hold you back.

The ending of the book has advice for living at home and also for student debt (basically, pay it back). I didn't feel that the essays were in any particular order otherwise.

If you are looking for a step-by-step guide to help you navigate "the real world" this isn't it. But if you are just looking for some inspiration and wondering where famous people got their start than you've come to the right place.

[Nicole (A Library of Sorts) · Rating 3 out of 5]

Rating: 3/5 stars

First, let me explain why I picked up this book. I just graduated from college in May, and I decided to take a year off before going into graduate school. I'm in that stage of "what am I going to do now", so seeing this book, well, how could I not get it?

Now, I will be honest and say that I did not look at the author's name at first. I picked up the book for its provocative title and its connection to my life. It was not until I read reviews on this book that I realized the author is the daughter to Arnold Schwarzenegger. Did that change my opinion on the book? Yes, it did. Was it in a negative way, not really. It's more along the lines of "Oh, this is someone who came from a famous family...I wonder how this will go". But, how could I feel that way knowing that every story I would read in this book would come from a wealthy famous person?

So, I ignored that part of my mind and read. This book was not what I expected. I thought I would get more advice than I did. I've read books on what to do after graduation, but this one WAS more focused on the stories of others. Their advice usually came at the end, in a five-seven sentence paragraph. Some of the stories I skipped completely, some I skipped and came back to it. I read the stories from people I knew or people who had jobs closer to what I wanted to do.

Reading their stories was interesting. It was not what I was expecting, but that does not mean it was a bad book. I'm pretty neutral about it, hence the three stars.

Reading Dates: June 30-July 4, 2014

I received this book for free from Blogging For Books for this review.

[Claire Talbot · Rating 1 out of 5]

It is difficult for me to write a negative review, because I feel like if someone takes the time to write a book, that in itself is an achievement. However, this book is billed as "the new guide to young graduates" and it is supposed to be filled with good advice. Maybe it is good advice for rich young people with limitless resources to fall back on, but I certainly would not want any of my own children to pause and "Take a beat" (what an irritating phrase!) when trying to decide what to do with their futures. Student debt is a serious matter, and getting a job that pays the bills is not shameful. Yes, we would all love to live with passion, and do what we love, but honestly, is that realistic? It reminds me of the phrase "I found my soul mate". Puke - marriage is work people! There is no magical answer for success, love, etc. If you feel your life is worthwhile, you work at it, learn from your mistakes, and honestly access yourself and strive to improve. I would agree with some of the advice given, but felt it was a random assortment of famous people that I did not really identify with. I intended to give this book to my daughter (who graduated from college in May) but she already has a job, and seems to doing well making decisions for herself. I would not recommend this book as a gift for recent college graduates. I received this book for free from Blogging for Books for this review."

[Pamela · Rating 1 out of 5]

I bought this book because I was look for inspiration and advice. Did I get it? Yes. From Katherine? No- definitely no. A friend of mine asked if I wanted to go to her book discussion/book signing earlier this month, so of course, I said, YES! It was understandable that she was running a little late, so everyone was just talking to one another- no biggie. When she got there, she asked if there were any questions, and if not, she was just going to sign books. Really? People came out to hear you talk about your book. One person asked her why she chose the people to interview in the book. Her response was she used her Mom's (Ms. Maria Shriver) e-mail contacts and sent the questions out to everyone. Then she just waited to see who would respond. Afterwards, she asked her younger siblings who she should add in the book so that people from different ages can appreciate the book too. So it sounds like she didn't put in that much thought into the book... just who would respond.

I agree with some of the comments left here about this book. It really hurts me that I'm leaving this kind of review, but in all honesty, this book pretty much put itself together. I haven't read her other book yet, but I'm hoping it's better than this one.

[Jessica · Rating 2 out of 5]

I was hoping for more when I read the book my parents got me for graduation (a year after the fact). The individual essays with successful people were a great idea but, in my opinion, they all said the same thing. I didn't get as much out of the collection of essays as I thought I would. I did come away feeling like I am not the only person who doesn't have it all together.

[Kathleen Maguire · Rating 2 out of 5]

I hate writing a bad review because I myself have never wrote a book and admire authors so much for taking the time to write an entire book! I was so excited when I saw the cover and title of this book, but when I started reading I felt like I couldn't connect or relate at all to it. I felt cheated because nowhere does it say this book is about celebrities and how they made it to the top. Although it worked for these few people doing what they did to become successful is not very realistic. After I finished I went back to the library to find more books of this nature, "Life After College" by Tory Randolph and Betsy Hays is awesome! It's so realistic and gives step by step examples, stories, and insight on all aspects of life after college such as: time management, health, relationships, finances, job search, working, and personal brand building.

[Abigail · Rating 4 out of 5]

I wish I had this book much sooner! It was a joy to read; both inspiring and comforting at the same time. As a recent graduate, its nice to know that others have felt just as stuck as I do now. The only reason I gave this book 4 stars instead of 5 was because of the constant name-dropping and the slight wordiness I feel Schwarzenegger had. The name-dropping is to be expected though, because of her last name and famous status, and in regard to the wordiness, that's more of a personal thing I would notice in any writing. But those two things aside, I would highly recommend this book to everyone I know; recent grads, parents....everyone can learn from these stories and find inspiration for their own lives.

[Ashley · Rating 1 out of 5]

Easy to read, and had a few good stories, but many of the stories were hard to relate to, or had some influence that normal people didn't have: an extreme skill or ability like athleticism or entrepreneurialship from when they were in high school or before. The writer looked around and said who do I know and who do I like. The guy she sat next in class who played pro football, her parents, her favorite makeup or cupcake company owner. Nor mad that I read it because I skipped her introductions (they ruined the personal story for me the first few times so I started to skip them). If this was a book about different kinds of success, okay. How can you not find more people who actually graduated to fill a small book with?!

[Heather · Rating 3 out of 5]

Interviews with famous people on what they did after high school/college. I wish some non-famous people had been interviewed, because it didn't feel too diverse in the responses and I was bothered by how many people said to just wait for the right job, don't take the first job. This advice doesn't seem realistic when one has bills to pay. There was good advice about how parents should handle their child moving back in with them after college, advice from a clinical professor of psychology. An easy read, kind of interesting, but not great. My favorite was the interview with Arnold Schwarzenegger and this line sums it up, "The most important thing for all of us is not money. It is feeling productive."

[Rebekah · Rating 2 out of 5]

I wasn't terribly impressed by this. Yes it had some inspiring words from successful people but it lacked a distinct sense of what reality is like for most people. While she did a good job interviewing people of both genders and a few different ethnicities she stuck to interviewing people that are famous in some way and people in the entertainment and news industry. While some of that was interesting and relevant what about normal people who are successful in their own eyes? Maybe they aren't famous but are some of the best in their field or just very happy to be doing what they are doing. While somewhat inspirational, this book definitely lacked concrete ways to deal with life right out of college.

[Kathryn · Rating 2 out of 5]

I received this book as a graduation present. It was a quick read. Finished this book in a week. I was able to find bits and pieces of good advise, but I was disappointed overall. I thought the interviews were far too short and many of them focused on people who came from wealth. I found it hard to relate to a lot of the people Katherine interviewed because I'm in a position where I can't just sit around and "find myself". I have student loans coming, and I was hoping this book would help with the student loan struggle. Small parts of the book did discuss it, but overall I wouldn't really recommend this book. It wasn't all that helpful.

[John Wood · Rating 4 out of 5]

Although my college graduation is a distant memory, I thought it would be interesting to read many viewpoints on the post graduation dilemma. Katherine chooses a wide variety of people to interview including her famous parents. She does a good job talking about each contributor and offers thoughtful insights despite her youth and lack of experience. In examining the list, her choices seem to be consistent with her personal background. I was surprised that there weren't many instantly recognizable names. The essays are, however, quite informative and there are some useful things that can be gleaned from them. This is an excellent gift for any college grad!

[Jessica · Rating 5 out of 5]

I must say that I really enjoyed this book! I can see why people are upset that all the interviews are based on only celebrities and well known people. I think people want the perspective of "normal, everyday" people. The point that Katherine was trying to get with this book though is that everyone, no matter how famous or well-known, was once going through the same thing that a majority of college graduates go through. I felt like many of these interview were inspiring and made me realize that no one really knows what is going to happen to them post-college. I definitely would recommend this book to my friends who are all graduating soon!

[Alex · Rating 3 out of 5]

I was looking for inspiration and this book had some of it. Only 3 stories were new advice that I haven't heard before. But the main gist of the book : create your own opportunities

Follow me!

[John · Rating 3 out of 5]

Some of the reviews here for this book have not been too kind, but I enjoyed the book. Americans love their celebrities, and a number are interviewed to see how they learned to succeed during the early post-college years. I enjoyed the book enough to mail it to my niece as a highschool graduation gift. I thought I'd give her the book before, rather than before, graduation.

[Carson Lucas · Rating 1 out of 5]

This book was so poorly written and lacking in original thought—much less useful advice—that it shames me to know such juvenile verbiage can be published nowadays simply because of the "author's" last name. I am disappointed to have contributed in any way to the success of this book.

I am a regular-aged, college student and this book did not speak to me.

[Samantha · Rating 3 out of 5]

Meh. Not my favorite career-oriented self help book. I don't think the author contributed much to this book beyond selecting the interviewees--a kind of random group--and I think the success stories themselves were too superficial for me to care too much or glean any useful tidbits.

Tl;dr: follow your passion, work hard, be patient, and try to be the offspring of two really famous people.

[Kelsie · Rating 2 out of 5]

While some of the stories were interesting, this book became very receptive very quickly. I honestly feel like it would have been more effective had Katherine actually gone beyond simply interviewing successful people and included things like interview tips, or how to create a budget. I didn't feel like I learned anything new. The idea is great, I just feel like it didn't come together.

[Lara · Rating 3 out of 5]

I initially checked this out for the chapter on Jillian Michaels but ended up reading it all. Some good nuggets of advice from famous entrepreneurs, athletes, journalists, and members of the entertainment industry. Not a practical guide but it's a stimulating read, especially if you have recently graduated or will graduate soon.

[Farrell · Rating 5 out of 5]

I LOVED it!!! I thought it would be more for college grads, but it works for anyone who is making a change. I felt that the points contradicted a little, but everyone's life is different and different things work for people. I highly recommend it.