12/8/2020 0 Comments 5 Options for College Graduates
For your entire life up to this point (assuming you recently graduated college), you’ve been riding a roller coaster on the same track as (most of) your peers. The roadmap looks completely familiar: Pre-K up to grade 12, then onto a two or four year school. Up to this point, young scholars haven’t been required to put immense thought into what they would be doing the following year because it was always the same answer: school. Following graduation, everything changes. The endless questions of “so what are you going to do when you graduate?” finally comes to the forefront and you’ll be asking yourself the same thing. Only this time, post-graduation doesn’t feel like eons away, it feels like tomorrow. For some, it could be tomorrow. So, what’s next? Real life is next. Below are 5 well thought out ideas for college (or high school) graduates which are tried and proven. These are 100% legitimate options for fresh grads, and with a little bit of planning any one of these can be a worthy venture. 1. Get that 9-5 hustle started The most common option for college graduates is to hop on the 9-5 train and ride those sweet, sweet paychecks into the sunset. Many university students move right from their part time college job into a full time position at the same company. Equally as common is students moving from their senior internships into their careers following graduation day. For students who didn’t have anything lined up, it’s time to roll up those sleeves and hit the job boards. The easiest way (not the best) is to search local job boards or online job databases like ZipRecruiter or Indeed for entry level positions in your area of expertise. Of course, these positions don’t typically pay well, and negotiation for pay is much more difficult when hundreds of applicants are applying for the same position. It should also be noted that many of the jobs on online job boards end up being scams, so make sure you don’t give out personal information (or money) to a potential employer without doing your research. A much better option than online job boards is searching through LinkedIn and connecting with people in your job field, forming relationships, and meeting with employers. While this option is more time consuming and doesn’t pay the bills immediately, with some time and planned networking it can turn into the most lucrative option. 2. Move to a new city/state
Truth is, once you get that decent salary, benefits, and a relationship partner, your life becomes much more stable and difficult to unhinge. No wonder why the term “mid-life crisis” is so common it has a term everyone can recognize. You have no real valuable belongings and no mortgage, so it might be time to pack your car, take whatever life savings you have, and hit the road to new beginnings. (BONUS: find a friend who wants to do the same!) 3. Get out of the country!
Remember, this is one of the only periods of time in your life where you have very little responsibilities and obligations to meet. Taking two — three years to find yourself in a foreign country will force a level of growth unlike anything you could experience in your hometown or a 9-5 job. 4. You don’t have to leave college… yet For those of you aren’t ready to commit to a 9-5 job or maybe don’t love the job choices your undergrad degree has to offer, grad school may be a good option for you. Grad school, usually a two-four year commitment, allows you to pursue a specialty of your choice. While grad school can open doors for you down the road, it is also a major commitment both financially and as a use of time. If you think you can avoid burnout while pursuing a masters, it can drastically improve your chances of a well-paying career down the road. The hard part, of course, is avoiding the school burnout. One option which can incorporate grad school without completely breaking the bank is to take night classes and pursue a masters part-time. Another option is finding a company that will pay for night classes as they are looking for well educated employees. Many law firms pay for their paralegals law school costs, and many schools pay for their teachers to take classes at a free or discounted rate. 5. Move back home
This is an especially lucrative option for college grads looking to move somewhere and need a place to get their footing and save some money before the move. Combine a low cost of living with the comfort of home, free food, and (hopefully) a positive influence in your family, and the recipe for setting up your future is bright. Once again, these are only 5 options out of a million following graduation day. Your life is what you make it, and to limit your ideas to match the career path of your peers is foolish. Why live someone else’s life when you can truly do what YOU want, with a little bit of planning and forward thinking?
You hold the reigns; where you steer them is up to you. What is your tentative plan following college? Leave a comment below !
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