If you’re anything like me, you’re probably drowning in a sea of job/internship applications. Whether you’re about to graduate or trying to secure a summer position to boost your resume, it’s definitely a stressful process that’s constantly taking over your thoughts. While it may seem like the world is ending, but I can promise you it’s not.
One of the biggest pressures as a college senior is to have a job right after graduation. Some people make it seem as though you’ve failed or wasted four years of your life at college if you don’t have a secured job. But honestly, what’s the rush? While it may be ideal to be employed right out of college, you’re allowed to take some time to yourself to travel, apply to grad schools, or just unwind and figure out what career path you want to take.
Everyone thinks that at 22-years-old you MUST know what you want to do and have your career goals planned out for the next ten years. You’re supposed to know what industry you want to work in, what position, which location and which company. That’s what college was meant for, wasn’t it? To discover exactly what your life plan would be? Not always.
College is a time of exploration, of learning and of experiences. You definitely will not be the same person on graduation day as you were on move-in day. You’ve expanded your knowledge, met new people, traveled to new places and probably learned a few life lessons. So, you’ve matured, you’ve learned, you’ve experienced. That means you must know where you want to be after graduation, right?
Nope, that’s not always the case. At least it isn’t for me. As a senior planning to graduate in May, I’m still unsure exactly what I want to do with my life. This realization can be scary, but it’s okay. Some people don’t realize what they want to do until they are thrown out into the “real world.” I have friends who are finance majors and hate what they do, but they feel “stuck” because of their degree. I also know communications majors who recently decided to apply to nursing school or law school, which is definitely not the PR or marketing route they were anticipating.
Either way, don’t just accept a job just so you can say “Mom, I’m employed!” Make sure that you truly like the company you’ll be working five days a week for and that you like what you’ll be doing there if you accept the position. It’s no fun to hate going to work every day and planning out the day you can finally quit.
