I know it's only the start of spring semester, but there's no better time than now to plan for life after college. It'll be here sooner than you think. But don't freak out: there are ways to prepare for your post-grad life. Here are ten things you can start doing to ease the stress and get ready for the world.
1. Get ideas from everywhere and anywhere. You may find things online, in magazines, in class. Be sure to catalog those ideas somehow so you can use them later.
2. Start a vision board, Pinterest board or keep a notebook. If you're more of a visual person, then crafting an actual vision board would be a great thing for you to do. If you're social media savvy, then maybe a future-centric Pinterest board will suit you.
3. Write down your goals. Seriously, just do it.
4. Stay focused in school. You have to find a balance of looking ahead and staying in the moment. You don't wanna slack off just because you're over-focused on the future, you know what I mean?
5. Ask for recommendation letters. Sooner rather than later is the best bet here. But seek out the appropriate people. So you're college job is a good place to start, but maybe skip over your professors if you've already got a portfolio built up. Your actual work will speak for itself, but having someone else speak to your work ethic is always a good thing.
6. Revamp your resume. Ditch the high school stuff. In its place should go all your college achievements, whether that be stellar grades or your 4 years of an campus job. Add in your extra-curriculars and internships too. Every little bit helps.
7. Check out internship or job boards. Internships.com or Monster Jobs are pretty popular places to start looking for options. Also Google things inside or outside your town, city or state. You may find local options or have easier access to global gigs.
8. Check out what your school has to offer. If you feel like it, utilize the career center or look online on your school's website to see if they have any job postings or suggestions.
9. Ask for help and/or advice. Talk to your teachers, your friends, your parents. They've all been where you are or actually are where you are. They can offer insight and share stories of how they got their jobs or found their niches in the world.
10. Don't be afraid: everyone's in your shoes. You got this, I promise. It may be a little scary, but it's not impossible. You will pass your classes this last semester. You will make it to that graduation stage. You will find a job and you will find success.
