Now that the semester is officially over and graduation season has come to a close, recent graduates might feel anxiety and panic seeping through their veins. I know I am.
There’s no easy way to put it — life after graduation is going to be tough, and it’s going to be brutal. Your days of chalking up excuses are over, and you will be held accountable for every mistake because congratulations, you just entered the cut-throat world of adulthood. Cue the soundtrack to practically every horror movie ever made.
If you were one of the unlucky ones that didn’t secure a job before graduation, don’t panic just yet. You still have the summer to get your sh*t together and six months before you have to start paying back those loans. This means you can be stress-free from bills until Thanksgiving when the smell of roasted turkey and baked mac and cheese hits you like a train, and you’re crying from the unbearable questions of “did you get a job?” or “what are you doing now?” from family members you don’t even want to see.
But trust me, you’ll be fine as long as you get your sh*t together before then. And trust me, you will because everything will work out, hopefully.
If you didn’t take advantage of the numerous resumé workshops during college or the Career Center services, take advantage of it now! Your student ID still works until August, so head over to the Career Center and have them look over your resumé.
This brings me to my next point... polish those resumes! Add every club, community service, or university-related activity on it. This shows you were active on campus and have a hard-working character, especially if your GPA isn’t the greatest.
Also, you’ll still have your Penn State email and library privileges for six months after graduation. So if you’re planning on going to grad school, take advantage of the online library database! Do your research.
Although you won’t be a student anymore and probably won’t be getting any emails from angry professors reminding you that you bombed the last test, still check it! Your college is probably going to be sending out different job postings throughout the summer and fall seasons, so apply to every possible job! Even if it doesn’t sound like something you want to be doing, it might relate to your field and help you get your foot in the door.
Don’t forget to network, while you’re at it. Find any conventions, gatherings, and functions related to your field and make an effort to attend and introduce yourself. You might not be getting job offers because your resumé or cover story is getting lost in a sea of others. However, if you’re able to put a face to a resumé and make it personal, you’re more ahead of the game than everybody else.
Another recommendation I have is to stay connected to Penn State. One of the greatest things about attending Penn State is the large network that it has, which really helps when you’re job hunting. If your interviewer happens to be a Penn Stater, you just instantly found a connection with them that can potentially play in your favor when they decide who to choose for the job. Another great way to stay connected with Penn State is probably through their alumni program.
Also, stay in contact with your professors and advisors! Many students tend to think that once a class is over, they never want to see their professor again. This is a BAD move.
First, professors can offer you advice about job hunting and the adulting world. Second, they can write you a bomba** recommendation letter if you ever decide to go to grad school. And lastly, they probably worked really hard to teach the material so just be appreciative of that (unless they were really bad at teaching).
Lastly, just remember that everything will eventually work out. Life after graduation doesn’t have to be a difficult and sad one. The fact that you have a degree in something already puts you miles ahead of many people. But in the 0.0000000000000001 percent off-chance it doesn’t work out, a box of 75-count Kleenex cost $2.29 at Walmart, but remember to ration because you probably won’t be able to afford it once November rolls around.
