Everand Logo

Welcome to Everand!

  • Discover millions of ebooks, audiobooks, and so much more with a free trial

    Only $11.99/month after trial. Cancel anytime.

    12 Life Lessons Every Graduate Should Know
    12 Life Lessons Every Graduate Should Know
    12 Life Lessons Every Graduate Should Know
    Ebook87 pages55 minutes

    12 Life Lessons Every Graduate Should Know

    By Sean Kouplen

    ()

    Switch to audiobook
    Read preview

    About this ebook

    Author, Sean Kouplen, served as an adjunct professor for Oklahoma State University in Tulsa, OK. He taught a variety of classes including Business Communication, Organizational Behavior and Commercial Bank Management. Students were often filled with uncertainty about their future. The questions were always the same: How do I choose the best career for me? How do I select the best employer? How do I gain an advantage over my competition in the job search? What is life really like in the corporate world? How can I move up the corporate ladder faster? What are the keys to living a fulfilling life? 12 Life Lessons aims to answer as many of these questions as possible, and offer a nugget or two to help you start strong as you enter the real world.
    LanguageEnglish
    PublisherBookBaby
    Release dateSep 3, 2013
    ISBN9780989651813

    Related to 12 Life Lessons Every Graduate Should Know

    Related ebooks

    Teaching Methods & Materials For You

    View More
    View More

    Related podcast episodes

    Related articles

    • Article

      Women In Business

      Aug 1, 2021

      Women In Business
      29 min read

    • Article

      Master of One

      Jan 7, 2021

      Master of One
      3 min read

    • Article

      Big Mess on Campus

      Nov 25, 2019

      Big Mess on Campus
      8 min read

    • Article

      A Woman’s Work

      Apr 29, 2022

      A Woman’s Work
      9 min read

    • Article

      Cowboys & College

      Sep 17, 2021

      Cowboys & College
      7 min read

    • Article

      Robert F. Smith Not Only Wiped Out College Debt For Morehouse Graduates, He Impacted Lives

      May 30, 2019

      When billionaire Robert F. Smith announced during his Morehouse College commencement address that he'd be paying off the class of 2019's student loans, South Holland, Ill., native Nicholas Clemmons was in the crowd of graduates. "I think the best wor

      4 min read

    • Article

      When Life Falls Apart

      Mar 4, 2022

      When Life Falls Apart
      7 min read

    • Article

      Creating A New Path

      Nov 1, 2020

      Creating A New Path
      2 min read

    • Article

      Living A Purpose-filled Life Teens Share The Importance Of Balancing Their Passions With Their Everyday Lives

      Feb 14, 2019

      From working and volunteering, to tutoring and cooking, and even to jujitsu, the passions and interests that dominate teens’ lives are fundamental in guiding them onto the right path towards a career that makes them happy. These days, however, many t

      5 min read

    • Article

      Finding Freedom

      Dec 4, 2020

      Finding Freedom
      4 min read

    • Article

      HW60 #HerWorld HerStory

      Apr 27, 2020

      HW60 #HerWorld HerStory
      13 min read

    • Article

      Winning Letter

      Nov 11, 2022

      To our beloved Denise, Mom, Grandy, You’ve been reading YOU magazine since it was first published, so what better place to honour you than here? What better way for you to know how much our family’s 87-year-old queen and matriarch is loved and apprec

      5 min read

    • Article

      He Dreamed Of Teaching Children With A Background Like His Own

      Jun 13, 2018

      Baltazar Villalba found it's not too late to pursue your passion and that bringing your own experiences to the table can make your work more effective.

      2 min read

    • Article

      He Skipped A College Education And Didn’t Regret It

      Mar 21, 2024

      Cataldo Maria made a choice two years ago as a high school senior that shaped the beginning of his adult life. He skipped college and went to trade school for welding. “I never really felt any pressure to go to college,” he says of his parents. “They

      4 min read

    • Article

      Rhona Morada

      Dec 20, 2020

      Rhona Morada
      4 min read

    • Article

      Ayesha Aziz Khan

      Jan 5, 2020

      Ayesha Aziz Khan
      5 min read

    • Article

      One In A MILLION!

      Mar 7, 2024

      Opening the door of my office, I knew I was also opening something else, too. A world of opportunities – all for the children I was mentoring on The Prince’s Trust Mosaic programme. ‘Welcome inside,’ I smiled. Giving them a tour around my workplace i

      2 min read

    Related categories

    Reviews for 12 Life Lessons Every Graduate Should Know

    0 ratings

    0 ratings0 reviews

    What did you think?

    Tap to rate

    Review must be at least 10 words

      Book preview

      12 Life Lessons Every Graduate Should Know - Sean Kouplen

      Circle

      Preface

      From 2004 to 2007, I served as an adjunct professor for Oklahoma State University in Tulsa, OK. I taught a variety of classes including Business Communication, Organizational Behavior and Commercial Bank Management. I really connected with the students and loved every minute of it.

      Every night after my classes were over (which was typically 9:20 p.m. at the earliest), several students would wait around to visit with me about their future. The conversations were always the same. They were scared and filled with uncertainty about their future in a challenging economy with increasing unemployment. They would ask these questions:

      How do I choose the best career for me? How do I select the best employer?

      How do I gain an advantage over my competition in the job search?

      What is life really like in the corporate world? How can I move up the corporate ladder faster?

      What are the keys to living a fulfilling life?

      I wrote 12 Life Lessons to help answer as many of these questions as possible. My goal was to give the book to my students and limit the ‘after hours’ discussions so that I could get home to my family.

      Surprisingly, this book (and its predecessor Out of the Blocks) caught fire and has allowed me to speak to countless student and young professional groups all over the country. I have received hundreds of letters from individuals who say it has given them hope and direction when they needed it most.

      I feel very blessed with the success of 12 Life Lessons and Out of the Blocks. I hope that you find a nugget or two in the following pages to help you start strong as you enter the real world.

      Introduction

      My grandfather once told me a story about a man named John who loved to fish.

      One sunny spring day, John was fishing on a beautiful pond when he was approached by a childhood friend named Mark. Mark was a successful executive with a local technology company.

      John, you are such a smart guy. Why don’t you apply for a job with our company?

      Why would I want to do that, Mark?

      If you accept a job with our company and do a good job, in a few years you could work your way into management.

      Why would I want to do that?

      Once you’re a member of management, if you do a good job, in a few years you could work your way up into an executive position.

      Why would I want to do that?

      Once you are in an executive position, if you do a good job, in a few years you could qualify for stock options and a retirement plan.

      Why would I want to do that?

      Once you qualify for stock options and a retirement plan, in a few years you could afford to retire.

      Why would I want to do that?

      Once you retire, you can do the things you really love to do.

      Mark, I’m already doing the thing I love to do.

      I admit this story is a little simplistic. Fishing every day with no income makes it difficult to meet our obligations and send our kids to college. It takes income to live in this world.

      The lesson in my grandfather’s story, however, is very important. If you find a career that you enjoy, every day will feel like you are fishing on that beautiful pond. As my grandfather used to say, ‘the right job shouldn’t feel like a job at all.’

      If you settle for a career that you don’t enjoy, you will labor through the best years of your life, when you are the healthiest and strongest, waiting for the ‘fishing trip’ called retirement that may never happen at all.

      My goal in writing 12 Life Lessons Every Graduate Should Know is to help you create a career and life that fulfills all your hopes and dreams. By mastering certain skills and processes, you can balance an enjoyable, successful career with a rewarding personal life.

      You can live comfortably while still meeting your financial obligations and preparing for retirement. You can start strong and finish well in this race called life.

      1

      REALITY CHECK

      Leaves crackled under Camden Walker’s feet as he walked home from his last class of the week. It was a cool October day and the Illinois Technical University Panthers were about to host a huge homecoming game against their instate rival, the University of Illinois, and the campus was buzzing with excitement.

      Unfortunately, the football game was the last thing on Camden’s mind. Camden was worried and confused as he walked down the long sidewalk from the

      Enjoying the preview?
      Page 1 of 1