Graduation. A time of happiness, a bit of anxiety, rush, and, most importantly, self-doubt. As this important date approaches, I decided to rethink my “after-school” plans with a newly acquired journalism bachelor’s degree. This wave of emotion and mental turmoil ultimately led me to update, or rather change completely, my LinkedIn profile.
A recurring thought ran through my mind as I rewrote my resume for the fifth time this semester. I realized that I wasn’t just updating a profile, I was redefining a version of myself that sounded more marketable, strategic, polished, and definitely more certain than I actually felt. Somewhere between choosing a “professional-looking” headshot and rewriting my accomplishments, I noticed I wasn’t preparing to graduate, but to introduce myself to the world. And I couldn’t help but wonder: when did finishing college start to feel like a branding exercise?
Throughout my five years in college, I watched characters on series, such as Sex and the City, navigate their early adulthood through rocky relationships, careers, and late night conversations. Honestly, I just never expected certain aspects of my specific experiences to be summarized on a business profile. Graduation used to feel like the start of a new chapter — the beginning of adulthood. Yet, now it feels completely different. We are not just graduating, but it feels like we’re also launching a completely new version of ourselves. It’s no longer enough to just have a degree. Graduates are now expected to present an updated portfolio filled with an extensive amount of work and experiences that prove we’re prepared for the role we’re stepping into — a kind of “post-grad persona,” and oh how scary this can be.
Now I start to ponder and spiral. Which corporate-looking outfits should I put together? Do I need a new bag? Or do I just need a new personality?
This pressure to feel the need to rebrand yourself after college is also reinforced throughout social media, friends, fellow peers, and even family. It almost becomes impossible to not compare yourself as you watch others broadcast their achievements and newly secured opportunities. How did this person get these opportunities? What are they doing differently? And most importantly, how can I do the same thing?
Funnily enough, people on social media have started to label this phenomenon in social platforms as “LinkedIn envy.” It is said to describe the quiet comparison that builds while scrolling though a polished feed of apparent success. As journalist Brooke Steinberg from the New York Post mentions, when logging into these platforms, “users are often met with post after post of people “excited to announce” a new position or even a “dream job.””
But what do I feel rarely gets acknowledged, you might ask? The uncertainty that builds behind this polished persona that society forces us to create once we graduate. The version of ourselves showcased online often does not present who we are, but an ideal. Now, this uncertainty isn’t just anecdotal. Recent studies show that nearly 80% of people feel unprepared to find a job, especially amid the rise of artificial intelligence (AI), and how it continues to reshape hiring expectations by employers. As technology evolves, we also feel an increasing pressure to stand out in each competitive field of our choosing.
In my experience, graduating has always felt a bit intimidating. I felt the constant pressure of having an established plan the moment I stopped studying. Even with a corporate job beforehand, the need to present a refined version of myself hasn’t gone away. So maybe, the feeling of uncertainty shouldn’t be a warning to become someone new, but to add to the person I already am.
For this sole reason, I’ve decided to not give into the utter noise constantly heard around grad season. These comments can become a bit overwhelming, especially as someone who does not have a clear path established or even a clue as to what they want to do in life. The reality is that most graduates don’t have everything figured out, and that is okay! College should be a moment of introspection as well as a space to meet new people and encounter different perspectives that reshape how you see the world. Maybe, this intimidating “post-grad persona” isn’t something we curate all at once, but something slowly built, even without the need to announce it. Also, chin up diva, your 2000’s movie dreams are coming true. You’re going to be a journalist!