In modern society, young adults are faced with pressures on multiple different aspects of life – being financially successful, getting married, graduating college in 4 years and landing a high-paying job immediately after graduation.
But the truth is, if you’re a freshly graduated alumni like myself and you’re struggling with figuring out what to do next (also like myself), your feelings are perfectly valid.
Life after college is daunting, especially with the ever-increasing role of technology in professional environments and the fast-paced, capitalistic American workforce. The situation of 2020 and 2021 graduates is unique and even more difficult due to the spike in unemployment during the pandemic.
And let’s not forget the icing on the cake – student debt. All of these elements make the aftermath of college seem extremely intimidating.
Although I cannot give the most credible advice on this topic considering the fact that I am a brand new graduate myself, I can say that a great place to start is by simply sitting down and thinking about your life goals. I bet you thought I’d say get a job first, right? Guess again!
You can truly never go wrong with thinking about what you want to do after completing the milestone that is college and how you’re going to get there. Of course, you don’t have to decide now, but it won’t hurt to spend some time with yourself and your plans for the future.
Now it’s time to focus on work. I recommend applying to 5 jobs a week if you haven’t landed one yet. This is a great way to get your name out there and increase your chances of getting a job more quickly.
It’s also a good idea to expand your network and get in contact with people who work in the field you plan to go into. Connections can make a huge difference when looking for jobs, and you never know who you might talk to!
Above all, it’s important to note that your mental health and wellbeing come first. Graduating is stressful and it’s never a bad thing to take a much-needed break. Finishing college and being quickly thrown into the working world is a scary change that happens in the blink of an eye. Don’t be too hard on yourself.
I do want to share some good news for my fellow college graduates.
According to the National Center for Education Statistics, in 2019, the employment rate was higher for those with a bachelor’s degree or higher. Even though this statistic won’t make student loans disappear, it gives me hope that these degrees will be put to good use!
I want to finish off with this last piece of advice: do things at your own pace.
You may be met with pressures to get a higher paying job, or move to a new city, or take on more working hours. But you don’t need to do anything that you’re not ready to right now. Graduating college is no easy task and you worked hard to be where you are. So, it’s okay if you haven’t figured out what you’re going to do next.
Just take it day by day!
