This is a published version of Forbes’ Careers Newsletter. You can subscribe here.
Happy (unofficial) start of summer! I hope everyone had a restful Memorial Day weekend.
This time, apart from the return-to-your-inbox-post-vacation anxiety, also marks the time when new college graduates put their pens and paper (or laptops and iPads?) away before they start their new jobs. There’s been quite a lot of coverage about the current state of the job market, how tough it’s been for the class of 2024 to find post-grad opportunities, whether it be internships or full-time jobs, and what they’re actually looking for from their future employer. But a couple newly-released “best of” lists could help those entering the workforce narrow-in their search.
Last week, Forbes released its list of “Best Employers for New Graduates,” ranking companies with over 1,000 employees in a number of areas, including compensation, benefits and working conditions. The 400 finalists ranged from Delta Air Lines to fashion house Chanel.
Another way to search, if location is more important to you, is by city. Background check company Checkr ranked the best cities for new graduates based on employment opportunities and affordability. Forget New York or San Francisco, what if you found your new job in Fargo, North Dakota? Or what about Lincoln, Nebraska? Both were among the top best cities ranked by Checkr.
One of the big takeaways is that university towns provide not only educational and social opportunities, but also promising entry-level work. “There are big universities there that are making housing affordable and potentially offering great job opportunities in multiple industries. There are more opportunities in those cities because the workplace has changed,” no longer relying on just the big metropolitan cities, Sam Radbil, research strategist at Checkr says.
Indeed, some of the best employers for new graduates, as ranked by Forbes, include universities like the University of Tennessee, Knoxville, ranked 14th on our list. Knoxville’s metro area is ranked as the 48th best city for new college grads by Checkr.
So if you’re just starting out your career and are still looking for a job, maybe think more locally—what companies or industries have offices near your college campus?
WORK SMARTER
Practical insights and advice from Forbes staff and contributors to help you succeed in your job, accelerate your career and lead smarter
Do you hate networking? Here are some tips on how to make it easier and different ways to stay in touch with professional contacts.
Don’t let these LinkedIn myths derail your job search.
How to get ahead of the summer slowdown if you’re looking for a job.
For first-time managers: constructive feedback matters, and more tips on what you need to know.
Careers Advice Q&A: Whole Foods’ John Mackey
On the heels of his memoir debut, my colleague Jena McGregor sat down with the cofounder and former CEO of Whole Foods Market John Mackey to discuss his time at the company, building corporate cultures and the current stage of his career. Mackey, 70, is launching an “integrated health and wellness company” called Love.Life. This is an excerpt from their full conversation, which you can read here, and has been edited for length, clarity and continuity.
How do you build a culture if you’re leading a growing company that doesn’t have, say, a historic Memorial Day Flood, or that crucible moment that brings people together?
I really believe there are certain key elements that go into making a healthy culture. The first one is: Does the company have a purpose besides just making money? … In Whole Foods’ case, we’re in the food business. It was about nourishing people and the planet. That gave us a greater scope for some of the other things we’re doing. Purpose matters, and that’s got to be front and center.
If the leadership’s not really living that purpose, if it’s just something you stick on the wall, then it’s not really real. … Do they embody the values that they talk about, or are they hypocrites? If you’re not actually embodying it, then people don’t believe it. People pay a lot more attention to how you show up in the world than what you say. They look for consistency between what you say and what you do. If you have that, then you have an authenticity and an integrity that allows people to trust. Trust is very important for a healthy culture. If you know someone’s going to do what they say, you can relax.
Did you wrestle with the differences between Whole Foods’ and Amazon’s work cultures?
I did wrestle with it. But as I like to say, it’s not my problem any longer. In defense of Amazon, they didn’t really try to change Whole Foods’ culture in any conscious, deliberate way. They respected us. They let us be Whole Foods. Besides letting us lower our prices, that was one of the great gifts they gave us.
Can you reflect on moving beyond such a big part of your career at Whole Foods and into—is this retirement? What is this phase of your career called?
People ask me, what are the differences [between starting a company now versus the first time], because I’m kind of back in startup mode. Compared to when I was 24 or 25 years old, I’m not saying I’m more intelligent, but I’m much wiser. I’ve learned so much about business. I’ve learned so much about myself, I’ve learned so much about how to be a better leader. I’ve got a lot more money than I had then, so I can do a lot of the financing for a new business myself.
On the other side, I am not going to have the same kind of energy. Although I am in good health, I don’t have the same kind of drive and energy I had that I had at that age. So I have to have younger people who are excited, who we can enroll in the vision and the mission that we’re trying to create. And we have. Doing a startup is a massive amount of work. I’ve forgotten how hard it was.
But you know what? I’m also having a lot of fun. I’m kind of retired in a way, in the sense that I’m not working those 50-plus hour weeks very often. I have more time for vacations and friends. More time with my wife. But then again, I’m doing this purposeful work that really matters to me, that I really care about.
What’s the biggest piece of advice you want entrepreneurs to get from reading your book?
If you’re talking about my book, there are certain themes that run through it. There are implied messages in the narrative. One is that building a business is fun. I call it a game, but I mean a game in the best sense. The very first chapter is called The Game Of Life. And the very last chapter is called The Infinite Game. The second big message that runs all through the book is love. If there’s one thing I would try to tell any entrepreneur, it’s that you should have joy in building your business. It’s going to be fun.
It’s all about relationships. It’s all about love. Don’t get so caught up in your dreams that you become an asshole—a ruthless asshole—who just uses people for your own material gains. You’ll be miserable.
One of the things I took away in your book is how much time you took away for trips and experiences, even as CEO. Was that hard to do?
You have to juggle some balls at times, but you become more skillful at juggling. I didn’t want to just work. I wanted to work, but I didn’t want to just work. The people who would brag about working 80 hours a week? They’re not heroes of mine.
TOUCH BASE
News from the world of work
The richest self-made women: From working in public relations to owning the latest whiskey unicorn, Forbes’ Chloe Sorvino profiled Fawn Weaver, cofounder and CEO of Uncle Nearest and one of the women in this year’s list of America’s Richest Self-Made Women.
High earners are in the office: New research shows that remote job listings with salaries of $250,000 or more fell by 60% in the past year, with hybrid positions in the same range dropping 95%. If you’re looking to make the big bucks, a return to the office may be in your future.
Beware of the AI search result: If you are an avid Google user and were cheering at their addition of AI on search results, you may want to be careful and keep an eye on the answers. The company’s AI Overview has been under fire on social media for its unconventional, if not flat out incorrect, answers.
Layoffs at Pixar: Disney’s beloved Pixar Animation Studios will be laying off 14% off its staff, or 175 people, according to multiple reports.
NUMBER TO NOTE
78%
That’s the number of American workers that do not use the maximum amount of vacation days every year, according to a Harris Poll. The number even sours for Gen Z workers, 89% of whom don’t use all the paid time off they earn.
VIDEO
What Millenials Are Passing On To GenZers in the Workplace
QUIZ
According to a survey of over 600 hiring managers, what is the most challenging generation to work with?
A. Baby Boomers
B. Gen X
C. Millennials
D. Gen Z
Check if you got it right here.
