I JUST GRADUATED...NOW WHAT?

Advice for one of life’s most important transitions: stepping out into the “real” world after four years of college.

Of course, it is not an easy task for anyone, and leaving that insulated world with no clue of the future can be daunting. "Not getting a job right out of college felt like the lowest point in my life, but what it really did was force me to learn so much about myself,” writes Schwarzenegger (Rock What You've Got: Secrets to Loving Your Inner and Outer Beauty from Someone Who's Been There and Back, 2010). Here, she chronicles her interviews with men and women who successfully navigated the often unnerving moments of post-college life. From Anderson Cooper to DJ Armin van Buuren to the founder of Sprinkles Cupcakes, Candace Nelson, each interviewee expresses his or her aha moment, when they found their passion and followed it to the fullest, despite setbacks and bad odds, and launched into a career they truly enjoy. Some chose not to attend school but jumped into the fray and used life as their education; others worked in crummy jobs to pay the bills while consistently chugging forward on their personal goals; some wound up in places and jobs they'd never dreamed of simply due to the fact that they were open to all possibilities. As fashion model and designer Lauren Bush Lauren writes, "a college degree isn't what makes you smart; it's curiosity and the desire to seek answers and practical knowledge to help guide you in your field of choice." Each narrative shows the emotional doubts, anxieties and joys felt while starting a company, becoming a philanthropist or climbing the corporate ladder. Although geared toward young college graduates, the advice is relevant to anyone who's been laid off from work or is in search of a new direction in life. Other contributors include Eva Longoria, Bear Grylls and Jillian Michaels.

Inspirational tidbits on work and life from productive and happy people from diverse backgrounds.