From the beginning of college all the way until now, where I am about to face my last semester of my college career, I have always known what I wanted to do when I graduate college. I know that this is something that a lot of people don’t understand because much of freshman year is about figuring out what you want to focus on for the remainder of your college career.

I know what I WANT to do when I graduate, but that doesn’t mean that I have that goal as a set plan. I am not currently employed for my post-college career, and that is OK. If there is one thing that can be stressful about college, it is that it feels as though everyone around you is already employed for their summer or indefinitely.

The reality is that, even though it feels that way, that is very subjective based on the people that you surround yourself with. For the longest time, I felt as though I was the only person on this campus who didn’t have a job yet or wasn’t even in the middle of networking, but that is not the case.

One very important thing to pay attention to is that different fields start hiring at different times during the year. While I was watching my friends go through the interview process at the beginning of the school year, I felt like a failure. It wasn’t until later that I realized that my field of PR isn’t going to start recruiting for the summer after I graduate until later on in the year.

Plans change, and that is normal. If you are not yet employed or are having a hard time going through the application and interview process, do not let that allow you to give up on your ultimate goal. Getting rejected from a job is not easy, but that does not mean that you are not set out for that career path.

You will not get every job that you apply for, no one does. Don’t feel as though everyone around you already has a job, because that is absolutely not the case. Most importantly, don’t let yourself get discouraged by the people around you. You will find a job, and you will be happy. You just have to be patient.