As a child, I imagined that everything would just work out – that everything I could ever want would just fall magically into my lap. I imagined that by the time I was 23, I would have a degree and a career of which I was passionate about. Unfortunately, at 23 I have realized that in the real world, things are not just handed to you. In the real world, you must grab life by the horns and accept every new challenge that you face.
I would have never expected the feelings of worthlessness and sadness that come from graduating college.
I do not have a full-time job in my field, and, although I look for jobs almost daily, it seems next to impossible to find an entry-level job that does not require some sort of unobtainable "experience." It is as if the years of late night study sessions and pressures to get good grades were pointless. I feel that at this rate, I will never find my niche. This near-constant stress has made me learn a few things about what it is like to be a young adult with a seemingly empty future...
1. You are not a failure if you have not found a job immediately after college.
I have to tell this to myself daily. After I graduated college I believed I could get any career I would like just because I had a degree to my name. Harsh reality slapped me in my face.
Consider internships, volunteer work, and overall networking. Building up your resume with experience in your major is key.
Job searches can last weeks, months or even years. It is never easy to tell when you will receive the job you have been frantically searching for.
Do not stress, after countless interviews, cold calls, and company websites, the right job will not pass. Interviews will give you the experience you need to communicate with your potential employer, and you can get better and better at the dreadful interaction.
2. Your friends list will probably shrink, just like it did after high school.
Coming out of college and entering the world of adulthood is never an easy transition. Some friends understand distance does not mean an end of a friendship, but others do not.
You are becoming wiser and seeing how others really do think, and what that means for your worth to them.
Occasionally it is not such a bad thing to filter through friendships, especially because focusing on yourself during this time is needed.
Oftentimes, though, throughout new jobs and other social engagements you will meet new people and sometimes become closer to these people after a short time over the others you have known for quite a while.
3. If you are anything like me, you are in the awkward “I’m still young, but I am kind of getting old now…” stage.
What should you have accomplished by now? Who knows. Go at your own pace, and do not be upset if others your age is further along their path than your own.
Remember, great things take time.
Everyone works at their own pace, and going slower than others does not mean you have failed.
I found that I have compared myself to a lot of people my age, and it seems to get me down more than I would like to admit.
4. You miss 100% of the shots you do not take.
Whether it is moving out on your own, accepting a new career, settling down with a significant other, or leaving the town you grew up in. There is no worse feeling than looking back and regretting not taking up past opportunities.
Enter into your future with open arms, embrace all opportunities and do your best.
What is meant for you, will not pass you.
5. Never turn down plans, friends, jobs, etc., because of fear.
Approach with courage. Anxiety is one hell of a downer. Having the right mindset will help you to realize that although it will take some time, pushing through and persevering toward a task or goal will make you happier in the long run.
6. Lastly, look at how far you have come.
You have come too far to give up now. Keep at anything that may hold importance to you.
It will be okay in the end; if it is not okay it is not the end.
