As a graduating senior, I am beginning the struggle of finding a job. Scrolling through thousands of job posts on LinkedIn, Indeed, Monster and a million other job sites is hell. As I determine which are actually jobs I can pursue, I sit for hours as my eyes glaze over and think about how I am graduating and will sit in an office for 8-hour days until retirement.
Don't worry though; like the cast of High School Musical, we are all in this together! The process can be cyclical and the struggle is real. It starts with ...
1. Not knowing what you want to do with the rest of your life
Having a major is basically no indicator of what type of job you can have. It is a basic pathway to a kind-of-sort-of idea of what you mayyyybe want to do.
2. Spending hours searching for potential jobs to figure out what you should do with the rest of your life
Where do you even start? Do you Google "real life job"? "Good jobs for _________ major"?
2. Having to struggle through the interview process
This is probably the worst part. You hope that you score an interview when you apply for a job, but once you actually get one it's a pain. Making sure you do your research, prepare and practice answers to the basic "what qualities make you fit for this job?" questions takes a lot of effort, if you actually want to score the job.
3. Putting on clothes other than sweatpants for the interview
I lied. THIS is the worst part.
4. Figuring out what "business casual" actually means
I'm still trying to figure this one out. To me, business and business casual look exactly the same. Throwing a blazer on anything is considered fancy to me.
5. Crushing (or being crushed by) the interview
Walking out of the interview knowing you killed it or knowing that it killed you. Hoping that the first one happened.
6. Waiting for weeks to find out whether you got another interview
Jack Johnson's "Sitting, Waiting, Wishing" on repeat. Are they not getting back to me because I didn't get the job? Are they not getting back to me because they are still deciding? Are they ever going to let me know either way?
7. Going through the entire process again
The odds of getting the first job you interview for aren't very high. Unfortunately, months and months of applying, interviewing and waiting to hear is the norm. Eventually, it will work out. Eventually. For now, Badger seniors, hang in there. Maybe you'll live in your parents basement for a few months but things will work out for the best.
