That’s the question you are all asking yourselves right now, isn’t it? You got your degree, the fake diploma to substitute until your real one comes in the mail, the slightly drunken memories from Senior Week, the hundreds of pictures from Commencement, and tons of tears shed. But now what?
Start small: what are your plans for your post-grad summer?
If you haven’t gotten one already lined up, finding a job is a given. Although, I can tell you first-hand that there are only so many resumes you can send out and so many polite rejections you can endure before you start to lose it. If you are one of the few lucky enough to have a job lined up after graduation, some of you likely don’t begin your new job for a few more weeks.
Still, your current employment status does not mean you can’t be productive this summer.
First off, relax. While this may contradict what I just said about being productive, I am serious. I did this myself the summer after I graduated from Curry College. Upon being rejected for a job I was certain I would get, I decided I needed the time off to reevaluate what I wanted to do. I had spent weeks consumed by job-hunting that I started sending out random applications, just to see if any place would bite. That was not good, mainly because I started to forget how many resumes I was sending out weekly.
So, I made myself stay away from LinkedIn and other job sites. I caught up on books I had been meaning to read. I paid a visit to my local library for the first time in years. I helped around the house. I watched movies.
You might think I’m crazy for even suggesting this. I am speaking from personal experience when I say, taking the time to relax after graduating helped me a lot. Once I was done with the mental break, I finally decided what I needed to do. It might work out that way for you, too.
Second, if you have enough money saved, I would suggest investing in some “work clothes,” attire that would be appropriate for any professional work place. I made the mistake of waiting until I had such a job and then had to spend more money than I had to stock up on the required wardrobe. On that note, also take the time to polish your resume, make sure it is updated, and you did not add things not needed or take away things that were.
Third is to stay connected. Remember to keep in touch with people from college. No matter when they came into your life, or how, you hang on to them. There are people I didn’t get close to until my senior year of college, yet I can’t imagine life without them in it. The last thing I ever want to regret—that I want any college graduate to regret—is losing touch with people who were like family for four years, who saw them through so much, only to lose them to the business and unpredictable nature of life.
Other suggestions would be to volunteer in a service you are passionate about, or take up an internship, if you are so ambitious. If you had hobbies you neglected because school took up most of your time, get back into those.
Most importantly have fun! Being an adult does not mean your youth is over.
