Congratulations, you've entered the exciting (terrifying?) world of adulthood.

Once you've finished getting an education, nothing can be more terrifying than looking to start a career. You feel like you'll have to start making money, building up credit, making life investments, and more. It feels more overwhelming than the college journey you just got out of, and that wasn't exactly a small task either, was it?

Here at Our Community Now, we want to talk about what kind of roadblocks you may face in the job hunt and how you can overcome them. Please note that these are merely tips and will not guarantee employment.

The experience dilemma

Some jobs, at this point, are requiring a ridiculous amount of experience, even at (supposed) entry-level positions. Keep in mind, the exact amount of experience isn't as relevant as one might think, to a prospective employer. Years of experience does not always equate to top quality job performance, and most businesses know that. As long as you have some experience that equates to the job you're seeking, you can show the employer that you're still the right fit.

For example, let's say you're going for an op-ed columnist job with a local publication. Maybe you just wrote straight journalistic pieces, or maybe you only wrote dry and boring advertisement copy and company newsletters for a year. Even if they wanted a minimum of three years of experience writing op-eds, you can show your creative side. You can talk about issues that are important to you that you'd like to put your opinion on. If you show you're connected with people who express the same opinion as you do, it could increase your chances of getting hired as an op-ed writer. This kind of creativity, when it comes to showing your experience, will help you get hired as well.

Some experiences can give you an advantage in the business world

When you're getting ready to leave college, there are some basic experiences that could potentially benefit you in your professional career. Part-time job experience is just as valuable as full-time experience. Customer service, money handling, and public speaking are three of the most flexible experiences you can use on your resume. Customer service experience will translate well into any business that works with a lot of people on a day-to-day basis.

Understand every aspect of your degree

This is probably the most important first step when it comes to starting a career. You'll usually hear two lines from people when you ask for advice; some folks will say, “oh, if you get a degree, you can only go into a very specific field," while others will say, “It doesn't matter what degree you get, businesses just want to see a degree.”

The truth is, it can depend entirely on the degree in question. Some businesses allow for their college degree requirements to be flexible. For example, journalism and media degrees can attract employers who are looking for marketers and advertisers. Some businesses will only ask for a degree in general, without being overly specific. Not all degrees are flexible, but be confident that you can use your degree to find the job you want.

Don't lower your standards too much

Look, I get it, sometimes we just can’t get whatever we want in life, including career options. Your degree field might be oversaturated, you might get beaten by people who will work cheaper, you may even just be unlucky. Don't think that means you have to stay in a job you don't want to be in. If you need a temporary stop-gap until you find better employment, get the job you can. However, don't think this means you have to owe your life to this job, just because they picked you up in a time of desperation. There's no reason you can't keep looking for work while you're in a job you may not want to stay in. Everybody has the right to be happy with what they do for a living. Don't cheat yourself out of that happiness.

It's going to be terrifying looking for a job since you're either getting out of college soon or are already on the job hunt. Don't let those fears ruin the accomplishment of finishing college in the first place. You've made it this far, and you're ready for something further. Keep these tips in mind while you start your next new life adventure.