We hear all about the struggles of college life. I’ve written about the struggle myself. But what about the post grad life, when we venture into the “real world” and face reality in a sense? When the next four years of our lives are not as predictable?
Everyone has their own story with life after graduation, but I’ve found one common story that keeps surfacing when I ask my friends, who have also recently graduated, how post grad life has been treating them.
We are all broke. This should not come as a surprise. But it seems as though many people forget this about us college graduates. For example, one of my friends recently tried to go through a loan refinancing program that was advertised to “students”—but the company would not even consider refinancing her loans unless she had $5,000 in her bank account at all times, and she was required to earn at least $45,000 a year. Basically, they could not refinance a loan for the broke college grads who are in fact the very ones who need refinancing.
Of course we all hope to get an amazing job right away, but honestly, it’s really hard when you have a B.A. with no experience.
If you live in a big city, where a lot of the jobs are, then you most likely cannot afford to live in your own place. People often look at me like I’m crazy because I live with eight girls and I actually have to share my room. Yeah, it’s not the most ideal situation, but it’s the reality of the situation. We’re basically all trying to survive.
When you’re applying for jobs that you spent four years of your life studying for, but have zero experience in, you’re going to get a lot or rejections. And if you do get offered a job, it will be with a noncompetitive salary. But, as clichéd as it sounds, you literally have to start from the bottom and work your way to the top. Get used to the idea.
For those of us who have loans, prepare yourself for a huge slap in the face from reality after your grace period expires. Start saving your senior year.
A lot about getting a good job has to do with who you know in the industry you’re pursuing. While I was going to school, I was so focused on getting good grades, working to survive and crossing the finishing line, networking was the last thing on my mind.
Don’t get me wrong, this is not the story for all college graduates. But it is for many.
I remember getting anxious to graduate and finally be done, but I didn’t realize how different it is once you’re done.
Although all of this may sound a little depressing, don’t let that stop you from trying. Yes it can feel hopeless, but it’s not. The point is that it’s hard to get where you want to be. A lot of people get help while they’re in college, but after college ends, we have to make our own way and work hard for it—otherwise we won’t get anywhere.
The struggle to land your dream job and get to where you want to be can be difficult, but I think it makes getting there all the more satisfying.
