Graduating from university is scary. Although many of us work during the school year, the idea of working after no longer being a student is daunting.
Suddenly, you need a new answer to the question, what are you up to? Now, the hours you work each week and the dollars you earn per hour gain a whole new meaning.
While some of us may not be too worried about figuring things out right away, others hope and pray that they’ll be able to answer every question with a cool job title, a world-renowned company’s name, or a sizable salary; however, the not-so-great job market doesn’t aid the situation.
As a current university student myself, I know that we often hear that certain degrees, such as computer science and engineering, are much more likely to land us jobs, only to later hear that those same degrees are oversaturated and there aren’t enough jobs for all those graduates.
We also hear that some skills aren’t unique enough to impress employers and that we need to find ways to make ourselves stand out from the crowd.
Then there’s the argument that many of the jobs we could see ourselves working in once we do graduate are going to be replaced by artificial intelligence.
Ultimately, the job market has seen better days, and there is an excess of voices to remind us of this sentiment.
As a co-op student, I have had the privilege of experiencing a small part of what applying to and working at “big girl jobs” encompasses.
I have accessed job portals with postings catered to my degree and skills. I have chatted with career professionals about making a striking resume and tailoring my cover letter to the skill sets listed on job postings. I have even been lucky enough to get referrals from family and friends to increase my chances of getting interviews.
Despite having these experiences and working through the thick and thin of co-op terms, I still often find myself filled with fear, uncertainty, and a lack of motivation when thinking about my long-term career.
Aside from the obvious difficulties that come with landing a job in today’s market, I often struggle with the idea of starting a career or a new beginning.
I will no longer be starting a new school year every September, nor will I feel relief at the end of every exam season.
Instead, I’ll be in charge of what my life looks like. There will no longer be an obvious next step at any given moment. The direction I head in will be entirely up to me.
I become responsible for choosing whether or not to accept a job offer and how long I’d like to stay at a company. Becoming someone’s manager, transferring to another company, or moving to an entirely new city. This newfound freedom is daunting, and the notion of sticking to one thing forever haunts my thoughts.
Of course, careers have ups and downs and don’t tend to follow linear paths. However, movies, books, and people on LinkedIn definitely make it seem like the ideal career is figuring out what you want at the ripe age of 17. Then, all you have to do is follow through with it, land a great job at a great company, make a lot of money, and live happily ever after— pretty straightforward!
However, I have not come across anything that I can see myself doing for years, let alone decades.
I am beyond privileged to sit in office spaces where I am provided with technology I do not have to pay for, and attend meetings with people whose job titles I have only seen on TV shows.
I get to try things before I can even call myself a graduate. And yet, sometimes I look around and feel thankful that my co-op term will one day come to an end.
The work that I do does not always leave me feeling like I am making a significant difference. I feel comfort in the idea that I don’t need to decide at some point that this is no longer what I want to pursue.
I see my colleagues who are well into their careers and wonder if I will one day be as satisfied and motivated as they are. I see how hard they work and wonder if they do it because they have to or because they want to.
This then brings me to wonder what I’ll do when I am no longer on a four to eight-month contract. I won’t be a university co-op student forever.
Soon, getting a job will not simply be a cool opportunity; it’ll also be what pays the bills. It will be my reason to get out of bed every morning and strive for more.
According to some societal standards, I probably shouldn’t be “trying things out” for too long. I should find work that pays well, provides benefits, and has a relatively good work-life balance, and stick to it. However, I can only wonder how long it will take me to get to that point.
As someone in her early twenties, I wish I could be young and ambitious without worrying about things not working out. I wish I believed that all things fall into place and that I will soon find myself where I am meant to be.
Nevertheless, ending up where you’re meant to be is not something that happens on its own. It is something that one must work toward.
With this in mind, I think I’ll be taking steps forward without a crystal clear idea of what the destination is. I will talk to people, try new things, and do my best to strike a balance between making money and not hating what I do.
I hope I am able to finance a good life, while also enjoying the work that I do and feeling like my job is making a difference.
Although I am discouraged by the idea that it may take some time for me to get to this point, I try to remind myself that it is definitely possible.