Ah, so you’ve finished college. Congratulations! You did it. All the classes you forced yourself to make it to because the last review before the exam trumped your possibly life ending hangover have paid off. You persevered and you should be proud of yourself. Really though, college is a big deal and graduating is an even bigger one.
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So, what now? The fearful and intimidating time after college graduation is upon you, and you are constantly glancing around at your peers seeing who got what job where. I’ve listened to many friends and kids in my class stress that so-and-so already has a job at Goldman Sachs and how he’s making $80,000 right out of school. They mumble out loud their concerns about finding a job like that or a job that is in their field of study, not to mention how important it is to their family that they get a job immediately out of school. Well not only is that stress freaking contagious, it is also useless. I want to make it clear that I am not anti-real world jobs, just want people to know that it does not have to be right after you graduate. This world is big and life is short, and it’s okay to not be doing the same stuff people around you are.
Now, this is not to say it isn’t important to go into a profession within your field of study. That is important and I advise it, considering you probably have a degree in it. What is equally important is experience. Not just in the work force, but in the world. It is important to develop as an individual who has been newly released into the world, filled with knowledge and potential. You have a clean slate. You are free from the education system and are capable of doing anything! AH! What an incredibly liberating feeling, and one you should take advantage of.
Not knowing what to do next is the scariest part. There is a lot to consider during this time, such as getting out and seeing the world with all its beauty and wonderful cultures, versus jumping into the “real world” and getting a job so you get “settled” and can start “building your career.” The feeling of being pulled in different directions because of what you think you "should be doing” and what you “want to do before you’re working the rest of your life” is overwhelming. Having the cultural and social influences competing with the feelings in your heart that guided you as a child without concern for external forces is confusing.
How I see it is, instead of making your decision based on what others think, this is the time to do what YOU think you should do. You may feel the need to explain your decision to people, but don’t deter from the main reasons you made your choice. Here is some advice I’m about to drop on you to make the time between college and your career more worth your while. Who knows, you might find yourself immeasurably happy on a path you never considered before.
1. Do NOT compare yourself to others (even though it’s incredibly easy to, don’t)
What your friends are doing now may interest you, but it should not influence you. Just because your best friend with the same major went into some fancy job right after school finished doesn’t mean that’s the only road to take. Consider your options and be conscious of your individual needs and aspirations. This is the time in your life with minimum responsibility and maximum opportunity. If there’s a will, there’s a way. When you open yourself up to what you truly want out of this time in your life, you will never look back on that time and regret not following your heart when you had the time.
2. Do something completely different - expand your horizons and interests
TRAVEL. Get out into the world while you can. Why rush into an entry level job immediately when you can live in Thailand for a year, au pair in Australia, volunteer in a school in Venezuela, or work on a farm in Hawaii. GET AFTER IT. What you get out of life is what you put into it. Spontaneity and an open mind can take you places you never could’ve foreseen a couple years ago. You will learn so much, even small things that you can apply to your life and career later on down the road. You will acquire interests and knowledge that will make you a more well-rounded person, and see things from a perspective you have not always had. How you interact with people and approach situations will be different. There is no way around it. Seeing the world helps you grow, in beautiful ways. Having a "grown-up job" is not the devil people make it out to be, but take the time for yourself to enjoy life outside of the mentality that happiness and contentment comes from a steady paycheck. Learn about the world, do new things, embrace new cultures and perspectives. Giving yourself time to explore and find your direction through experiences, I believe that you will find yourself at a job you enjoy and can put your best foot forward at.
3. Instead of asking yourself “why?” try “why the F not?”
I am a very indecisive person and I annoy myself very much because of it. I have tried to be more mindful of it, but questioning whether you’re making the right decision is always part of growing up. It would appear that the older you get, the more sure of yourself you become when deciding your next move, so just embrace that change and start it today. To help better my decision making skills, I started saying, “because why not?” Since then, I have found myself experiencing the coolest new things and meeting the most remarkable people I never would have met otherwise. You don’t know what wonderful adventures await you if you make decisions inspired by your more wild side. In a time when you are unsure of where you ought to be or what you should be doing, don’t overthink things. Jump on an opportunity you never considered before it presented itself. You’d be surprised the things you learn about the world and who you are when you’re in an environment you’ve never experienced before. It’s a huge, beautiful world out there. See as much of it as you can before you’re soaked back into the norm of what you anticipated “building your career” in your “field of study” would be like.
Now, please don’t get me wrong, I love routine and the stability of a job. Especially one I care about and know what I am doing at, which comes from taking the time to figure out where you really want to focus your energy and abilities. At the end of the day, learning and experiencing new things is essential in self growth and understanding. The feeling of being welcomed into a community in a third world country, seeing the oldest architecture in the world or trying a new sport for the first time in a place you’ve never been... Few things compare. Those memories will be a part of who you are your entire life, and the people you met along the way will hopefully be too. Follow that heart and listen to that gut. I guarantee when you’re at your new job with your new coworkers, you’re going to have a hell of a lot of great stories.
