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helps grads adjust to real world Wayne State South End by E. Joseph Addison April 19, 2002 After graduating from college, students often find the transition into the “real world” daunting. Although they now have a degree and perhaps a job, many feel blind sided by the onslaught of new tasks awaiting them, such as filing taxes and filling out 401k plans and W4 forms. To help people deal with this transition, Jesse Vickey and his wife Nicole founded Cap & Compass in 1999. Their goal is to make the switch from the classroom to the boardroom easier for young people. To do this, their company hosts seminars on campuses, offers a book, “Life After College. Explained” and has plans to release several starter kits that will contain city-specific information. “I graduated from college in 1997. After a few months in the working world, I was amazed at all the little things I had to learn for the first time,” Jesse said. “I had to pick an HMO, set up a 401k and buy a mutual fund. Few recent graduates know how to do this. All of my friends complained of the same problem.” After graduating from Duke University, Jesse worked on Wall Street for three years where he was involved in trading bonds. However, he grew dissatisfied with the corporate world and decided to switch gears and start his own company. “I thought this was a subject that a lot of people could benefit from. There are many books and companies that focus on the transition from high school to college, but few focus on college to the ‘real world,’” he said. “Cap, as in cap and gown, and compass, as in an instrument that provides direction, seemed to work well.” Although the company has existed for only a few years, it has generated a great deal of enthusiasm. Representatives from Cap & Compass have given over 65 seminars at more than 25 different colleges and other locations. Their book, written primarily by Jesse with collaboration from Nicole and Andy Ferguson, who conducts most of the seminars, has sold over 6,000 copies. “We’ve been
very pleased with the feedback we’ve received so far,” Ferguson said. “(Cap
& Compass) really applies to the generation right now … (because) a lot of
new graduates are surprised at how many little things they didn’t know about.
They just haven’t had the exposure to them.” |
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