I’ll preface this by saying that I have no concrete answers for you because I am very lost myself. I have applied to three summer internships thus far and have already been rejected by one. Disappointing? Sure. Surprising? Not really.
I’ve watched older friends graduate and do all sorts of things— grad school, internships abroad, actual careers, living at home working in retail, etc. So what has this told me about what I should do once I graduate?
Nothing! It hasn’t told me anything because everyone is different. Everyone’s experiences are different. College majors and minors do tell a little bit about who will get jobs directly after college (STEM, anyone?) and who won’t, but the range of experiences one has after leaving their beloved institution is infinite.
As someone who is earning a BA in English, I know it sucks. Sometimes I feel like I’ve chosen a useless major. A useless major that I have loved and learned a lot in but nevertheless I feel sort of hung up to dry.
Yet, I won’t let that discourage me. And writing this article is as much for me as it is for anyone else who is graduating in a few months without a clear idea of what to do afterward. So, I have compiled some tips to get all of us started.
If you want to live on your own, start looking for cheap apartments soon— and more importantly, start looking for paid work now. If you don’t mind moving back home, go for it. It’ll save you a lot of money.
To everyone: start applying for internships, jobs and graduate school this second. Seriously, stop reading this article and do what you have to do. I have decided I will not be returning to my usual summer job upon graduation, and because of this I’m free-falling at the moment; I need to start grasping at potential employment opportunities around me.
Get on LinkedIn! I don’t even have one, and it’s preventing me from applying to certain jobs which require me to have one of those darned profiles. Why haven’t I made one yet?
Get professional online in other ways. Make a Wordpress, or another website for yourself and self-promote! You’re great, let the whole world know. English and Journalism people: Twitter is a cool way to put yourself out there, because we should know how to articulate thoughts in less than 140 characters, right?
Everyone: Delete those profile pictures of you funneling beer. I know that’s obvious…but have you done it yet?
And don’t drive yourself crazy. Don’t let anyone else drive you crazy, either. When my family and friends ask me what I’m doing after graduation, I shrug. I know that’s not a helpful answer to them because they want me to succeed. I know I don’t assuage any of their own fears by shrugging. But truthfully, I don’t know how else to reply.
And if any of my family members are reading this now: when I figure it out, I’ll tell you. I promise.
