In the News: Delprino Gives Career Advice for Recent Grads

Robert P. Delprino, professor of psychology and assistant dean of the School of Natural and Social Sciences, recently spoke with Zippia.com, a job search website, on career prospects for recent college graduates.

In the piece, “Experts Weigh In on Current Job Market Trends,” Delprino was one of nine experts to offer advice to recent graduates searching for a job.

According to Delprino, patience is key when first starting out on a career path.

“Recent graduates have contacted me to discuss with some frustration that they are not making advances in their career as quickly as they wish or expected,” he said in the article. “They may need to be reminded that they are just beginning their career and that there are no shortcuts to developing the knowledge, skills, and abilities that will allow them to be successful.”

Delprino also discussed the difficulty of predicting what technology will be used in the next three to five years, as it changes and evolves so quickly.

“An answer may be to stay adaptable to change in technology and develop a baseline set of skills that are transferable,” he said. “However, given current events, technology related to virtual interactions may become more prominent as a means to conduct counseling sessions and research collaborations.”

Graduates just starting out should have realistic salary expectations, Delprino said, noting that pay shouldn’t be the only consideration when applying for jobs.

“For a graduate beginning their career, a consideration in addition to salary should be the opportunities for growth and the development that a job provides,” he said. “There are no guarantees that a degree will result in a certain salary. It is up to the individual to take advantage of opportunities provided and to create opportunities that will allow for a career that is both personally and financially rewarding.”

Photo by Bruce Fox, campus photographer.