GradSimple 🦝

🦝 "Wish I could sit back and be led instead of being leaned on.”

I'm battling a gnarly cold right now. 8 days and counting... I'm convinced the virus has developed immunity to DayQuil and Robitussin. ⚖️ It's a poll! My first job out of college was a contract role answering support calls. 3 months in, they offered me a full-time permanent position. Boyyy, I could not decline faster. Listening to hard-of-hearing old people scream in my ear for 8 hours a day. Nope. In fact, I quit without a job lined up, but that's a story for a different time. Have you ever...

about 2 months ago • 3 min read

🦝 When does loyalty become a trap?

It's officially SUMMER! ☀️ Well...in the Northern Hemisphere. Sorry, Aussies. It's been getting hot here in Western Canada, like...AC full blast, sleeping with no blankets, ice melting immediately in your drink. It's only June. I can't imagine what it'll be like at the end of July and into August. I also can't imagine what our electric bill will look like, running our AC 24/7...💸 ⚖️ It's A Poll! This heat has made me thankful to work from home. I don't have to sit in my car or ride on a hot...

about 2 months ago • 3 min read

🦝 "Internships are a privilege"

I met with a career counsellor once throughout my entire time in college. And it was only because a class required me to. If not for being a business student where I had mandatory classes on how to build a resume, pitch myself, and network, I would have been 100% screwed. I think it was a combination of me being lazy, telling myself I was too “busy,” and the wait times for an appointment being insane. I also think part of me was just intimidated by it all. I’ve talked to more career...

2 months ago • 3 min read

🦝 This guy built a bot to job hunt for him

I've been watching a lot of nature documentaries lately. Fully exhausting the David Attenborough rolodex. What a treasure he is. When I was little, I used to call him Uncle Birdy. My favourite program of his was, you guessed it, Life of Birds! I've seen it so many times, I can quote parts from memory. 🦆 Listening to David talk about various animals and their behaviours has been a really nice way to relax at the end of the evening. I can turn off my brain and watch rabbits pee on each other as...

2 months ago • 3 min read

🦝 "I only cared about money"

I'll be perfectly honest with you! I procrastinated writing this newsletter until an hour ago. We've been rethinking the DNA of our newsletters. As Grace mentioned last week, we've become too stiff and "proper." We went from writing as a literal feral raccoon (shoutout to the OGs who know Ricky) to cranking the dial 180 the other way. I think we need to find a better balance of being helpful, but not taking ourselves too seriously. When I sent our very first email in 2024, I vowed never to be...

3 months ago • 4 min read

🦝 This job is harder to quit than to get

Hi, it's Grace. I'm here to announce some changes to GradSimple. Fun changes!! 🤗 We've felt like we've kinda grown a little stiff in the way we communicate with you all. The whole vibe of our newsletter is meant to be productive and meaningful, but lighthearted. Not a corporate memo. Certainly not a LinkedIn post. Things were getting a little stuffy. Can we be chill? It's more fun this way. For you and for us. Content won't change, but we're bringing the vibes back. If Gen Z knows anything,...

3 months ago • 4 min read

🦝 Would you bet 100k on heads or tails?

A master’s degree is still seen as the “smart” move. That’s why so many people consider it at some point. Either right after graduating or a few years into working. But once you start looking into it, the answers aren’t that clear. You’ll see people say it helped them break in. You’ll also see people with the same degree stuck in the same roles they were trying to get out of. So now you’re left trying to figure out whether it’s worth it… without a clear way to evaluate it. That’s where most...

3 months ago • 2 min read

🦝 If you’re not in STEM, you’re screwed.

“If you’re not in STEM, you’re screwed.” You’ve probably heard this take before from your parents, friends, and Reddit. Whether you’re still in school or already graduated, the question ends up being the same: Did I pick something that won’t hold up in the real world? Especially if you studied something like English, psychology, communications…it’s easy to feel like you’re on the “wrong” side of the future. At the same time, you’ll see people with those exact backgrounds doing well. Getting...

3 months ago • 4 min read

🦝 Nothing’s really “clicked” yet

A lot of people pick careers based on interest, pressure, or what looks good on paper. Then a few years in, they realize… they’re not that good at it. Or they don’t enjoy the way the work feels day to day. Liking something isn’t the same as being good at it. And being “good on paper” doesn’t mean the job will suit you. Where are you at right now? I don’t know what I’m good at I have a few options but no clear fit I’ve tried things and they didn’t stick I just want to pick something and move...

3 months ago • 4 min read

🦝 His career "plan" kept falling apart.

A lot of people who read GradSimple are stuck. Genuinely stuck, where you've looked for answers, tried things, and still can't seem to move forward in a meaningful way. And I really want to know the specific reason why you're still stuck despite trying. Is it that you've found advice but have no idea who to trust, so you end up paralyzed trying to figure out what's even true? Is it that you understand the advice but can't figure out how to apply it to your specific situation, your degree,...

4 months ago • 4 min read