All right … So I know this is the last thing anyone, myself included, wants to talk about, but it’s time to face the demon: there are 4 weeks left of classes in our senior year. Six weeks left if we’re counting our time until graduation. The only thing worse than hearing how much time is left of our college days is that one, awful question, “So, what are your plans for after graduation?” Now, before you slam your computer in disgust and go tearing your hair out, hear me out for a minute. I’m here to tell you that IT IS OKAY TO NOT KNOW WHAT YOU’RE DOING!!! The reality is that none of us know where the hell we’re going with our lives, some of us are just better at hiding it. So for all you seniors like myself who are nauseated by the fact that you are graduating into unemployment, here’s some advice for what to do next.
- Get connected. For those of you who are looking to get employed right away and haven’t found a job yet, now’s the time to reach out! Email alumni, call friends who have graduated, talk to aunts, uncles, family friends, whomever to see if they know anyone working in the field you want to pursue. Even if these people can’t get you a job right away, they can probably give you some great advice as to how to get your foot in the door in certain industries and may be able to connect you to some places that are hiring. Talk to as many people as you can, it’ll open doors for all different types of opportunities!
- Utilize your college resources. It may seem late in the game, but go to Career Services. They can help you narrow down your job search and make other important decisions about life after graduation. They also have access to tons of different resources- alumni connection sites, job offers exclusively for students at your university and so on. It can’t hurt to get a little more structure to your plan or a push in the right direction.
- Travel. Maybe you’re not into the whole, “get a job right away and become a real person thing,” and that’s fine. This is the perfect time to take that backpacking trip you’ve always to take, drive cross-country, snorkel in the Great Barrier Reef, whatever. There are also tons of gap-year programs that involve working and living abroad for various amounts of time that you could look into. This is one of the only times in your life you’ll have to do this type of thing with no other commitments holding you back, so by all means go for it if you feel so inclined.
- Get a hobby. Always wanted to start a blog? Volunteer at an animal shelter? Learn to paint? This is the time to DO IT! If you’re graduating and jobless, you might as well work on yourself and the things that make you happy while you have the time. Who knows, maybe it’ll help you discover your true calling in life, or by the time you land that interview you’ve always wanted you’ll have a great new project to wow your interviewer with!
- HAVE FUN! This is it, kids, these last four years are coming to a close and you better make the most of every second of it. Stay up too late with friends, go to concerts, take a road trip, grab drinks on a Tuesday- soak it all up. The work will get done, it always does. Make time for your friends, put the stress and anxiety on the back burner for now and enjoy every last minute of your senior year. You’re gonna be just fine.