One of the primary issues that college graduates face upon leaving school is working. Some will already have a job in their field lined up before they're out, some will be on their way to grad school and won't need to worry about jobs outside of academia, and then there's always that one person who will ride on an allowance from their parents to avoid doing anything substantial with their life. The rest, though, still need a way to keep a roof over their head, food on the table, and water in the pipes, but feel at a loss about what they should do.

The first thing to remember is: don't sweat it. Worrying never made anything better. Minimizing the anxieties in your life will help you during your search for work by allowing you to relax and think more about your goal. If you have too much stuff for where you live, get rid of some of it. If you have too many monthly service payments, cancel them. If there are people in your life who frustrate you, try to spend less time around them. Make sure you spend some time every day doing the things you enjoy, but not so much that you aren't making progress towards employment. On top of all this, remember that you're not the only one to have ever found yourself without work. There are jobs out there, you just need to know where to look and keep your mind open.

Wherever you live will almost always have some variety of job assistance, be it a work office, a website like OhioMeansJobs, or even a local chapter of Americorps. Never forget to ask your family and friends if they know of any openings, either, and if one of them offers you a job, consider taking it. No human is an island, taking help from others is not a sign of weakness. I got my job by knowing a couple of people who worked at the facility. They let me know when job openings came up and helped me find them online, and in about a week (after 5 months of job-searching), I went from unemployed and mooching off of my parents, to making $13/hour for moving packages.

When I started college, I didn't expect to find myself here. I figured I would graduate and then get hired on by some publishing house or write for games or movies. That sort of thing can happen, but it's very rare for it to happen immediately. That's not to say you shouldn't try for the things you dream of doing, but remain realistic and prepared in case you don't get it at first. Be ready to swallow your pride and take work wherever you can find it. An attitude of not being too good for any sort for labor is a good one to have. Work the farm, flip some burgers, throw some boxes, call some strangers. Go to a temp agency, even. They get a bad rep, but are actually very trustworthy sources for work, and can occasionally be good windows into permanent positions. Do whatever it takes to make sure you can eat and stay wherever you're living, and always keep a vigilant eye out for the next step in your life. Whatever path you choose, you're not bound to it forever.