Before I graduated from, I wrote an article about the fear of the unknown after graduating from college. I, like many other students, had no idea what I was going to do after college. I felt like if I didn't have a job lined up straight after graduation then I might as well have failed college. Thankfully, I was wrong.
“Fear of the unknown isn’t just an Ashley problem, it’s a natural human worry. Only time will tell where I will end up, but I bet it will be somewhere great.”
Life after college is certainly scary. But it wasn’t as terrifying as I was expecting it to be. I worked at a past job to gain more experience and save money, I’ve hung out with some of my best friends, I didn’t worry about late-night homework assignments, I got to sleep in (a few times), I finally opened a savings account and I still use my student ID to get discounted movie tickets. Life after college isn't so bad.
A couple weeks ago, my wonderful friend told me about a job opening at the news group she works with. After meeting with the publisher a few times and learning some of the ropes, she offered me a position. I landed my first “big girl” job. Really. It’s 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. on weekdays with an hour lunch. And it’s in something I actually got my degree in. *Insert gasp emoji here*
I know I am pretty blessed to have been offered a job only two months out of college, but it felt like forever during those two months. I was afraid I wasn’t going to be able to find a job and was already thinking about some backup plan options; especially since my tuition bill will be coming all too soon. I was planning on taking my C-BEST test so I could work as a substitute teacher. Then, I was going to go to bartending school to make some extra tip money on the weekends (I actually still might consider that.)
For any of my fellow graduates who have yet to find a job you graduated in, please know that it’s OK. I am a strong believer in being where you are in life for a reason. If you are serving coffee at a Starbucks or ringing up items at the local Target, it’s OK. You did not fail at life or college. Every step is a step closer to the next chapter of your life.
I had no idea what my next step would be. I’m sure not many graduates ever really know. If one thing is certain, it's that life moves on and we will move right along with it.
