Yep. It’s that time of the year again when it seems like I spend as much time talking my Curry College Communication or Business Management students off their respective/perceived ledges as I do in the classroom.

It’s a natural occurrence, sort of like the spring thaw that assures us the snow has really finally gone away.

It’s not as if these folks have been sleeping under their beds, only coming out (reluctantly) to trudge to classes and suffer through the torture of listening to professors rattling on about “stuff.”

No. They’re actively engaged in on-campus life, belonging to and actively participating in various things including, for my troops, the Curry College Public Relations Student Association. They’re not just “members.” They’re leaders in these organizations, sharing their enthusiasm with others. They’re mentors to young(er) students, offering guidance on navigating the tricky waters of college life.

But when the spotlight turns on them, all of a sudden the self-doubt comes tumbling in. “Am I good enough?” “Why don’t I have a job yet?”

My response usually starts like this… “Sit. Take a deep breath. Now…let’s talk.”

I try to be a realist while also gently massaging fragile egos. As a very wise salesman once told my wife as she was focusing laser-sharp vision on a microscopic flaw in a lamp we were interested in, “Nothing’s perfect, little girl.”

You don’t get a gold star just for showing up in real life. You have to earn your stripes (a little military flashback there) by doing…by producing…by showing others what you’re fully capable of accomplishing.

And, as I assure my young charges (those in whom I do have the utmost confidence), you have proven to me over the time that I’ve known you that you are utterly and entirely capable of accomplishing great things…in time.

It’s not going to happen as soon as you walk off the stage with your diploma. But it will happen.

To the folks in that mysterious “real world” that you’re fearfully preparing to dive into, you’re a new book that just arrived in the mail. They’ve read the jacket blurb (your resume and interview). But now they have to start turning the pages…your performance on the job.

You can DO this! This is what you’ve been preparing for these past however-many years. You’ve taken the courses. You’ve done the internships. You’ve talked to seemingly a bazillion people both on- and off-campus.

And guess what?!? You’re ready! Just believe in yourself!!