After college, newly minted graduates are figuring out how to interview for their first jobs, manage their first paychecks and keep their heads above water in the 'real world.'
Give the grad in your life an edge with the gift of wisdom.
CNBC Make It rounded up seven books that will help every type of graduate budget their money, grow their wealth and tackle career challenges head-on. Here's what to buy:
"Your Money or Your Life: 9 Steps to Transforming Your Relationship with Money and Achieving Financial Independence" by Vicki Robin and Joe Dominguez
This book hammers home the idea that you exchange your time for money. It encourages you to start thinking about how many hours of your life it took to save up the money to buy something and ask yourself questions like, 'How much of my life did I trade for this?' And 'is it worth it?'
It's been endorsed again and again by self-made millionaires, including Chris Reining, 38, who crossed the $1 million threshold at age 35. He calls it "the book that changed my life."
Self-made millionaire and financial advisor David Bach corrects some important misconceptions about money in his easy-to-read bestseller.
As you'll learn in "The Automatic Millionaire," you don't need a budget, you don't need to make a lot of money and you don't even need willpower to accumulate a fortune.
In this book, Mecham throws typical budgeting rules out the window and replaces them with four easy-to-follow guidelines for taking control of your money. The system emphasizes giving every dollar a job and focusing on how to spend the money you have right now rather than the money you'll earn in the future.
"You Need a Budget" simplifies the process of budgeting and can be paired with Mecham's online tools of the same name for anyone who wants to immediately put what they've learned into action.
This guide to everything breaks down the basics of post-grad life, from writing a cover letter to wedding etiquette. Grads may have a lot to figure out upon entering the workforce and the rental market but Kirsh can help them get a handle on anything life may throw their way.
The chapter on money explains key financial topics, including investing, taxes and credit cards, in accessible language that anyone can understand.
"I Will Teach You To Be Rich" by Ramit Sethi
Sethi explores the idea that there aren't any secrets to getting rich — it just takes small steps, a bit of discipline and a willingness to simply get started on managing your money.
The straightforward book guides readers through Sethi's four pillars of personal finance — banking, saving, budgeting and investing — while delivering advice that is unpretentious and actionable.
Rich people tend to believe that starting a business is the fastest way to make money. This read, endorsed by self-made billionaires Bill Gates and Warren Buffett, will teach you how to do just that.
Don't let the 1969 publication date throw you off. While a lot has changed in the business world since the 1960's, the fundamentals of building a strong business have not, Gates notes in a review, adding, "Brooks' deeper insights about business are just as relevant today as they were back then."
White's no-nonsense advice is relevant to professionals at any level in their career. She breaks down how to handle tough workplace situations, from developing a positive reputation to asking for a promotion to managing coworkers.
The book also delves into the concept of work-life balance and explores the importance of not only managing your career, but your personal life as well.
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