As of last week, I am set to graduate from college in four months. It's an exciting prospect. It is also an extraordinarily terrifying prospect, one that sometimes keeps me up at night. Regardless of how much I love being an English major, how much I love writing, and how much I want to write my own books one day, I can't help but feel that sometimes I find myself wondering what I'm going to do for the rest of my life. I know that in those thoughts, I am not alone.
Life post-grad is scary for a lot of students across America. Not only are we buried under a mountain of debt, but we also have to make these enormous decisions within no time at all. It's terrifying. You feel rushed and like the wrong decision could adversely impact the rest of your life.
By now, you're probably expecting me to say that it's okay to have no idea what you're doing, and that you can take your time in figuring out your life. Well, I'm not. As much as I'd like to say that graduating seniors don't need to stress about their upcoming lives post-commencement, I can't. Unfortunately, it's not that easy anymore. The time to relax has passed. It's now time to plan.
If you don't know what you want to do after graduation, you should start thinking about your aspirations. They might not be what you went into college for, and that's okay, but you need to figure them out sooner rather than later. Regardless of what you do, you have to support yourself in some sort of way. And you should start planning that right now.
It is the time to as least begin job hunting if you haven't done so already. You need to see what kind of jobs you can potentially get after commencement. You also need to take into account your living situation once college is over. Are you staying home with your parents to save, or are you going to move out? This also comes into play with your job search.
My favorite website I've found so far in job hunting is Indeed.com. It's location-based, like other sites, and you can even look for internships. The jobs listed also have employee reviews, which allows you to see what working there is really like. Indeed.com also allows you to upload your resume so potential employers can check out your experiences.
There are of course other websites you can use, like Careerbuilder.com or LinkedIn. It's a bit crazy just how many job resources there are out there. I'm sure there are a ton of other really helpful websites I haven't even listed.
Another helpful thing to get together as graduation approaches is a professional wardrobe, if you don't have one already. You don't have to buy a slew of new business clothes, but having a few key pieces in your wardrobe is important. Make sure you have a pair or two of dress pants and a neutral blazer, as well as dress shirts and shoes. As much as we don't like to admit it, first impressions are extremely important and you want to make sure you look professional for any job endeavor you go on.
Lastly, you'll want to make sure your resume is as up to date as possible. There are plenty of online resources to use in perfecting your resume. If you're in school right now, your university should have an office dedicated to student career building. They can most likely take a look at your resume and tell you how it can be enhanced for potential employers.
Graduating from college is an extremely intimidating experience. You're really stepping out into full-fledged adulthood, and it is the time to start building upon your future career. As hard as it is to try and figure out what you want to do with your life, it's something you really have to work on.
Sit down and really think about your aspirations. Talk to your advisor. Attend a few career building workshops. Do whatever you can to start planning your future. Planning ahead will save you the panic you might feel later on down the road.
