One of the things I see all the time at my job is young bright-eyed college grads who are totally clueless about how the job market works. For example:

Me: Given your experience and your education, what would be your ideal job description?

College Grad: Well, I got my degree in marketing so I want to be like Mad Men. Or, sales for Bacardi. Bacardi is cool.

Me: Ok, well first that’s hard to come by in Miami. Second, companies like Bacardi only take really experienced people onto their sales and marketing.

College Grad: What are you saying?

Me: I’m saying you’re very green and you need to get a lot of work experience before you can land a job like that. I’m also saying you live in the wrong city if you want anything close to Mad Men. (Also, don’t tell an employer you ideal job description comes from a TV show. )

College Grad: Oh, but that’s not what they told me in school.

NEWS FLASH: FORGET WHAT THEY TOLD YOU IN SCHOOL.

Forget about how they said that degree in Finances will land you a job in one of the top brokerage companies in the country. Forget how they told you your Bachelor’s is going to land you a 40k a year job right out of college. Forget how they told you your Masters will guarantee you a job in this market.

Nothing is guaranteed. And now, more than ever, it’s up to us to take matters into our own hands and start thinking outside of the box.

1. Shift your perspective.

A big turning point in my life since graduating from college was realizing that I needed to shift my perspective. Since then I have made it my mission to start thinking more positively and even explore things outside of my comfort zone.

Rather than dwelling on what I was told in school or my fears about the job market I started releasing my emotions so I could actually take some action in the right direction. And you know what? It worked. I found a job I liked, I started this blog and I started freelancing on the side.

I don’t dread going to work everyday. I enjoy helping others. And I know that if I ever found myself without a job I have the capacity to make it work.

Shifting your perspective is much easier said than done. After 22 years of thinking negatively I know that I had and still have a lot of work ahead of me. Chances are you do too. If you need some check out the free exercises and resources I sent to the GMW Coaching Insiders. You can also subscribe to the list to get free personal development tools and a chance to get 1:1 coaching for free.

2. Ask yourself, “What CAN I do?”

When you first graduate chances are you’re pretty green in the experience area. This can lead to some problems when entering the current job market. Rather than focusing on what you WANT to do, take a step back and make a list of things you CAN do. For instance, just because you’d like to jump into medical sales doesn’t mean you can actually sell something or have the experience for such a position.

Most of the time you enjoy doing the things you can do so it will at least point you in the right direction. From there you can start building your career so you’ll have the necessary skills and experience for what you ultimately want to do.

If you need help putting these things into a resume or your experience is kind of over the place, check out 3 Compelling Ways to Market Your Non-Traditional Work History.

3.  Consider that side hustle.

Time and time again I tell people they can freelance their way into work experience and extra income. This can come really in handy on your job hunt and may even become your chosen career path. Take a look at your skills, see how you can make them marketable and get to work!

If you need some help the ebook, Grad Meets World: The First Year Out of College has an entire section dedicated to creating that side hustle and making it profitable.

Entering this job market as a recent grad can be tough. I know, I’ve been there. I also see it everyday at my job. However, I firmly believe that with some tweaks to our perception, some creative thinking and some tangible goals we can make it better.

Amanda Abella

Amanda Abella is a Gen Y blogger, freelance writer and recruiter in training based out of Miami, FL. She is also the author of Grad Meets World: The First Year Out of College and can be found writing for Brazen Careerist, SheNow and more.