Over the last several weeks, across the country and around the world, students and their families have been celebrating graduations. As the excitement begins to settle, the looming question becomes: Now what?
Transitioning from being a student to being an alumna or alumnus is exciting and scary. As I watched almost 2,000 psychology students walk across the stage at Pauley Pavilion, I couldn’t help but reflect on my own journey.
During my sophomore year at UCLA, I was approached by a beautiful woman during lunch. We struck up a conversation and, as they say, the rest is history. That woman was Lisa Friedman Bloch, who, along with John Bendheim, publishes this paper. When Lisa called and asked me to write about graduation, I was thrilled.
This is a unique time in human history as the job market is being reshaped at a startling rate due to advances in AI. The World Economic Forum projects that AI and technology will eliminate 92 million roles while generating 170 million new positions by 2030—a net gain of 78 million new jobs in just four years. That is cause for optimism, not alarm. Entry-level jobs like data entry and basic coding are contracting, while roles requiring higher-level skills like critical thinking, judgment, and leadership are expanding. The graduates of 2026, and all of us, will do best by learning to work alongside AI rather than seeing it as a competitor.
Whether you are 22 and have just received your diploma, 42 and navigating mid-career, or 62 and thinking about retirement, a few principles can help any transition go more smoothly.
Tip #1: Embrace Uncertainty
We are fortunate to be living in an era of long lifespans and abundant opportunity, which means the chances of remaining in one job over an entire lifetime are quite low. For any of us, at any age or stage, resist the urge to believe you have everything mapped out. Remember the old saying: “Man plans, God laughs.”
The only constant is change. Learn to be nimble, take chances, and remain open, optimistic, and flexible. These qualities help us build the best possible professional lives.
My own path after UCLA has led me in directions I never imagined, including writing this column. As an undergraduate, I dreamed of becoming a lawyer and a judge. But I was intimidated by all the reading and writing and found that math and biology came more naturally, so I switched to pre-med. After 19 years in academic medicine, I left and started my own psychiatry practice.
A few years later, I was introduced to Shelly Baer by a mutual friend, and she asked me to help bring her idea to life. Together, we built a nonprofit, which we named the Bold Beauty Project (www.boldbeautyproject.com) while continuing my private practice half-time. COVID-19 threw a wrench in all aspects of life. My practice grew and BBP paused. Six years later, The Bold Beauty Project just exhibited alongside the Venice Biennale, the world’s largest art fair. Life often feels more like a game of Candy Land with wins and setbacks, both equally unexpected.
Tip #2: Invest in Relationships
Grow your network and don’t underestimate the power of friends of friends and acquaintances. Sociologists call them “weak ties”: the former professor, the family friend, the colleague from three jobs ago. These peripheral relationships are often the ones that open the most surprising doors as they bridge the gap between different social circles and can introduce you to new ideas and opportunities. Be brave and kind and reach out.
Research on life satisfaction from the landmark Harvard Study of Adult Development to the latest neuroscience consistently shows that the quality of our relationships is the single greatest predictor of health, happiness, and longevity. Not income. Not prestige.
Many of our deepest relationships are forged at work. Consider the math: 40 hours a week, 48 weeks a year, over a 45-year career adds up to 86,400 hours. That is an enormous portion of one’s life and why the people you share it with matter so much.
To our readers who have had decades to accumulate wisdom: reach out to a younger person in your orbit. Invite them to lunch or coffee. Share your experiences. You may never know how one conversation can alter the trajectory of a life, including your own. Today’s young people are thoughtful, creative, and have much to teach us as well.
Tip #3: Let Curiosity Lead
Ambition says, “I want to get there.” Curiosity says, “I wonder what’s over there.” Both matter, but curiosity ages far better. It keeps us learning, adaptable and engaged with life. As the world changes rapidly, think of yourself as a lifelong learner. Continue your education through reading, travel, online courses, conversations, and new experiences.
We are entering a world where AI will handle routine tasks, analysis, and even creative first drafts. Those who thrive won’t be the ones who outwork the algorithms. They will be the ones who out-wonder them.
One of the best ways to reboot your professional life at any age is to return to school. My aunt began a Ph.D. in Organizational Behavior when her last child left for college. Upon completion, she launched a consulting practice and would proudly report that her highest-earning years were her 80s.
Tip #4: Fail Forward
California has always attracted people who dream big. Some of those dreams work spectacularly. Others don’t. The people who ultimately flourish share a common habit: they fail, extract the lesson, and move forward without letting failure define them. This is called resilience, and it is a skill that can be built. Every setback is an opportunity to regroup and improve. Did I mention the one-handed mascara I tried to invent with my daughter who has a disability? After many years, and many dollars, we quit. Lessons learned, and a healthy respect gained for entrepreneurs, thereby making me a better psychotherapist.
Tip #5: Don’t Be Afraid to Do Hard Things
One of the most important lessons adulthood teaches is that hard things are usually worth doing.
The experiences that bring the greatest satisfaction—earning a degree, raising a family, building a business, caring for an aging parent, mastering a new skill—are rarely easy. In a culture that increasingly prizes ease and convenience, there is growing pressure to avoid struggle altogether. Yet confidence does not come from avoiding hard things. It comes from doing them.
Every time you accomplish something difficult, you accumulate evidence that you can handle what comes next. Self-confidence makes life more manageable and enjoyable. Hard-won victories often boost it the most.
Tip #6: Play the Long Game
One of the great surprises of adulthood is how long worthwhile things actually take. Careers take time to build. Relationships take time to deepen. Financial security takes time to accumulate. Expertise takes time to develop.
In a world obsessed with instant results, it is easy to underestimate the quiet power of consistent, sustained effort.
Hard work still matters. The formula isn’t glamorous, but it remains remarkably reliable: show up, keep learning, be dependable, treat people well, and keep moving forward even when progress feels invisible.
Often the difference between those who succeed and those who don’t is not talent. It is simply staying in the game long enough for your efforts to compound. I know most financial advisors will give that same advice.
Tip #7: Define Success on Your Own Terms
The most important question any of us can ask is not “What do I want to do?” It is “What kind of person do I want to become?”
I have watched too many people chase external validation such as a title, a prestigious affiliation, a number in a bank account, only to arrive and discover the destination feels strangely hollow. As you build your life, define success on your own terms and revisit that definition often. What matters at 25 may look very different at 35, 55 or 75. That evolution is not failure. It is wisdom.
Tip #8: Maintain Your Integrity
I have saved the most important tip for last. Integrity is the practice of being honest and showing consistent, uncompromising adherence to strong moral and ethical principles. It is the compass that keeps you pointed in the right direction in good times and in hard ones. Titles fade. Markets fluctuate. Reputations endure. And knowing you did your best, it the greatest comfort in times of success and failure.
Let integrity be your guide. In the end, how you travel matters more than where you arrive.
Congratulations, Class of 2026.
Enjoy the ride.
Beverly Hills Courier columnist Dr. Eva Ritvo is a psychiatrist with more than 30 years’ experience practicing in Miami Beach. She is the author of “Bekindr-The Transformative Power of Kindness” and the founder of the Bekindr Global Initiative, a movement to bring more kindness in the world. She is the co-author of “The Beauty Prescription” and “The Concise Guide to Marriage and Family Therapy.” She is also the co-founder of the Bold Beauty Project, a nonprofit that pairs women with disabilities with award-winning photographers creating art exhibitions to raise awareness. Dr. Ritvo received her undergraduate and medical degrees from UCLA, and psychiatry residency training at Weill Cornell Medicine.
