So you've graduated? Now what?

"Cleverness is a gift, kindness is a choice" - Jeff Bezos, Founder of Amazon

GRADUATION is one of life's major defining moments. The culmination of many years of sweat, toil and sometimes tears, brings you to a new transition point.

More study? Time for travel? Seek suitable employment? The options are endless. No wonder the time after graduation is a stressful one for many.

So how do you settle the nerves? Perhaps the most unsettling time after graduation is the realization that for the first time in your entire life, there is no longer a straight line of predictability.

Uncertainty is met head on square in the face for the very first time.

And for many, particularly international students, there is the added weight of attempting to please parents who have a vested interest, not only financially, but to ensure they have met their career and cultural expectations.

According to a recent article in Business Insider Australia, millennials are having what has been termed a "quarter-life crisis" because they worry about whether or not they will be successful in their careers.

According to research by LinkedIn, nearly two thirds of 25 to 33 year olds say they are are more anxious about their careers than personal relationships.

What can be done to restore some sanity after graduation and starting work? Here's four ways to consider:

1. Your life doesn't need to be sorted out in the first job. Your first job after graduation is often a starting point for further career exploration. And it doesn't need to be a perfect landing. Often, it will be bumpy and confusing, and you will be doing things that are routine and boring.

The corner office and car space won't be there. And people won't even trust you until you can prove yourself. But starting is the most important thing. Starting out somewhere will help build your confidence.

After my psychology degree, I started in the graduate program of a major bank. While my interview was held in a nice, large office tower in the city, the actual job was way out in the suburbs at a branch. Not my idea of a well-deserved graduate role with all the trappings of success that I thought would come with the role!

But I learnt more about the psychology of people during my time in the branch than I probably learnt in my whole degree. And that helped me rise ahead in my human resources career.

2. Adjust to the longer hours and routine starting times. Many graduates, who for many years have set their own wake up and sleep times around lectures and examinations, have now to settle into a routine of starting at the same time each day. And working eight hours plus each day as well!

This can be taxing on the body's circadian rhythms, and psychologically, you can feel like an ant in the mass early morning commuter travel crushed in a train carriage with miserable looking people, only to do it all again at the end of the working day. That's a new experience for many new graduates.

So try to get to bed earlier. Use those well-honed time management skills that you used to get assignments done on-time, and transfer those skills into your personal and professional life.

3. Communicate, communicate, communicate. If you land a graduate role after graduation, congratulations! Make sure you make all that effort in getting the role count. Many employers lament that new graduates find it difficult to mix and mingle with the rest of the employees. You need to quickly get involved with the team you're working in. And ask questions, lots of them!

Get to know the culture of the organisation. If your manager expects you to speak up at meetings, practice this by offering to attend meetings and shadow your manager. Ask for feedback on how you went. What did you do well? How can you improve next time?

Learn "small talk" techniques. Don't ever rush past a desk without saying "good morning" to a team member. And when you're given a task to complete, repeat back what is required, and inform your manager when it is completed. Many new graduates don't think of doing this! Remember, your results are now team-based, and it's no longer all about you!

I learnt this the hard way too. One of my first jobs was in HR in a public transport organisation. I walked into a room for a morning meeting, and didn't acknowledge the union leader who was in attendance.

He told me if there is one thing I should learn, is that you never walk into a room without saying "good morning" to your fellow colleagues. He said that as a tram driver starting at 4.00 am in the morning, you would always greet your fellow workers, no matter what mood you are in! There was a culture of having common courtesy towards each other.

Jeff Bezos, founder of Amazon - Address to Princeton Graduates

Amazon founder Jeff Bezos learned an important lesson from his grandfather. As a child, he said he was obsessed with maths and would find reasons to show off his ability with numbers. One day, while in the back of his grandparents' car, he overheard an ad on the radio, stating that every puff of a cigarette takes minutes off your total lifespan. Jeff said his grandmother was a smoker, which he hated, so he decided to calculate the number of years she had taken off her life so far."I estimated the number of cigarettes per days, estimated the number of puffs per cigarette and so on," Bezos told the graduating class."I tapped my grandmother on the shoulder and said, 'At two minutes per puff, you've taken nine years off your life!' Bezos waited to be applauded for his wit and arithmetic skills. Instead, his grandmother burst into tears. His grandfather pulled over to the side of the road, got out of the car and waited for his grandson to exit. He then told him, "Jeff, one day you'll understand that it's harder to be kind than clever." Bezos told the Princeton graduates that there is a difference between using gifts, such as intelligence, and making choices in life. "Cleverness is a gift, kindness is a choice," said Bezos. Although being smart comes in handy, kindness is invaluable to achieving your career goals, he says.

4. Understand the business you're working in. Many graduates believe they have reached the peak of their knowledge in their particular discipline, so what else is there to learn? Your employer will expect you to learn all about their business.

You will need to learn their policies and everyday practices. You will need to learn about their products and services. And you will need to continue to be passionate about that business always. You need to truly believe in what they do. That's what you convinced them at your interview anyway.

Keep learning, and never stop learning. Make sure you take learning opportunities seriously. Go to company sponsored training programs, and take advantage of financial support offered for further studies.

When I started my first role as a graduate, I found that the language of the business was something quite new to me. There were numerous acronyms to learn. Learn them quickly, as it will help you to integrate into the team more smoothly, as you will feel more aligned to the organisation you are working in.

Remember, as a graduate you have a great future ahead of you. Make the most of every opportunity to learn and develop, and you will make your mark in the organisation, and that will enhance your reputation for future roles. You will become a "person-in-demand" - and that will be the hallmark of a future successful career.