Well, as I sit and right this column, Spring graduation is just a little over a week away. I've been hearing for years now how over-saturated the turfgrass job market is, and how we have to stop producing all these graduates because they won't find jobs. Yet, when I look on TurfNet at the employment section, I find 119 assistant, 2nd assistant, and assistant in training positions available to students, and if you look at other categories, there are even more jobs. We are graduating 8 students from our program this Spring, and every one of them has a good job to go to after graduation. We've had that success for several years, and so, I often find myself wondering how do I continue to prepare our students for the 'real world'?

The first thing that we tell them is that these jobs that they go into are going to be hard work. They can expect that they will be working all the days that their supervisors would like to have off. So that means no long weekend trips on Memorial Day, no Fourth of July parties where you can sleep in the next day if you feel like it, and no Labor Day bashes where you grill out and soak in libations all day. That is what their supervisors have been working towards, and so you can count on that you will be at work at 6 AM, and getting the day started to provide the conditions your members or guests expect. This is life in the real world, where what your parents do and make doesn't matter, what matters is your dedication and drive, and the results you produce with it.

The next thing we talk about is that they can't expect to go 'home' for awhile. One of the main reasons I think we have success placing students in good quality jobs to begin their career is that we constantly explain that they have to keep their geographic options as wide open as possible. Those 120+ jobs that are available today are across the country. So while there might be a few jobs here close to Knoxville, there are many more around the country. For a generation of students that are known to have strong ties with their parents and families, this can be a tough bond to break. However, they quickly realize that this profession requires flexibility, and if they are hopeful about getting back to their hometowns, it needs to be a goal with which they are flexible about when it might happen.

Finally, one of the last things we impart to them is a sense of belonging to something bigger than themselves. We encourage them to become a part of their communities, and give back where possible. We also encourage them to be a part of their local and state associations, and finally remind them that no matter where they end up, their fellow students (now alumni) are there to help them. We have a class where the entire turf program gathers each year to hear from other members of our profession, and getting to know not just your direct classmates, but those graduating ahead and behind them has been very positive. Now they know people in the industry (maybe where they are heading...) that can help with tough problems that they face. Or, possibly they will want to start having interns from our current group of students. Either way it is good for them to know that they are now out there alone, but they have this strong network of colleagues both young and older, that can help them when they need it.

Come to think about it, these points that we talk about with our new graduates, seems appropriate to anyone. Are you making sure you're working as hard as you can to produce an excellent product; one you're proud of? Have you remained flexible and looked for opportunities possibly in places that you might not imagine yourself moving? How about that network of folks, local and far away, upon which you can rely when the going gets tough and you need to talk to a friend to help you solve a problem. These are all good points to think about as we move into the heat of summer. Renew those bonds and get ready for the hard work to come, knowing that you are prepared and ready to
be flexible.

Dr. Brandon Horvath is a column writer for Landscape Supply, Inc.'s LSI Connections, a newsletter that is sent to our partners in business once per month. Dr. Horvath is a professor and a plant pathologist for The University of Tennessee Turf Program.