“So, what you doing next year?”
For college seniors throughout the United States and indeed the world, there are several possible responses to this most inevitable of small talk inquiries. Common examples include denial, anger and uncontrollable sobbing. Of course, there’s also that small percentage of seniors who got jobs lined up before senior year even began or within the first couple of months of the academic year. Inasmuch as they seem to have it all figured out, even they are often not entirely comfortable with this question. After all, after finding a job you’ve got to find a place to live, potentially make new friends (if your work is in a new area) and figure out how to actually take care of yourself. No wonder we’re all trying to be super seniors.
“We have to graduate? Say it ain’t so…” (Photo Credit)
Ultimately, finding a job and career development in general comes down to each individual’s personal drive. Some of us might be lucky enough to have a job thrust at us through a connection, but for the rest of us, getting a job is akin to some Hunger Games type of scenario. Still, through the cutthroat “(wo)man for him/herself” mentality of our capitalist society, Bates has resources that can help you through the process.
The Career Development Center (BCDC) has (warning: shameless plug incoming) worked very hard to make itself as accessible to students as possible.* As much as it may at times seem ridiculous or too late to pay a visit to the center, it does provide an exceptional service, particularly with regards to the preparation of resumes and cover letters for when you are applying for jobs.
But let’s face it. We’ve already established that finding a job is on you. Sure, it’s way more work than you want to take on when you’re working on making sure you graduate, but the extra effort is what makes finally landing a job rewarding. We all have aspirations, ambitions and passions of differing sorts. Play to those strengths. Figuring out what you’ll be doing post-grad ought to be an exciting opportunity to pursue the practice of a field or industry that genuinely interests you.
If you don’t think you know what you’re passionate about, do some investigation. Talk to people working in different jobs. Your parents, their friends, your professors, your friends’ parents, your friends that have already graduated. Someone, somewhere is doing your dream job, and if you figure out that no one is, then you might have a cool new business idea on your hands. Whether you remember what consumer surplus is from your Econ 101 class or not, four years of college have endowed you with a range of skills that you can leverage to your advantage (e.g. all those stellar 30 minute presentations you put together the night before have got communication skills, creativity, and performing under pressure written all over them).
Happy Hunger Games. (Photo Credit)
Apply that guile and creativity to your job search and work hard at it. Be persistent, be determined, be confident, and know that you’re not in this search alone. Remember, too, that finding a job after graduation is not figuring out the rest of your life. According to Forbes, “Ninety-one percent of Millennials expect to stay in a job for less than 3 years,” (that’s the time it took you to move from the Smith Basement to Frye Street –remember how quick that went by?) Your first job after college is no more permanent a commitment than those misguided outings in the library arcade at the beginning of each semester (kudos to those of you who have made those permanent commitments). It’s just the beginning of your journey towards a professional life that’s fulfilling and makes you proud.
So back to that pesky question. You might not have all the answers about the after Bates, but you can definitely tackle it head on and explore multiple avenues. Feel free to share all the exciting options you’re pursuing with the fool who had the nerve to ask you. Turn the question no one wants to hear into a quick soundboard for your aspirations. Do whatever the hell you want with it. Ultimately, you’re the one in charge. We’ve sure as hell enjoyed our stay in the 04240, but more good times are around the corner. We just gotta get up, get out and do something.
*The BCDC provides walk-in hours Monday to Friday from 1-3 p.m. in its office while Career Fellows also provide walk-ins from 7-9 p.m. on Mondays and Wednesday in the library and on Sundays in the Office of Intercultural Education.
About guest writer Graeme Welds
Graeme Welds is a senior Economics major from Kingston, Jamaica. He is a Career Development Fellow at Bates as well as being one of those annoying people who already have a job next year as an analyst at Credit Suisse. He also gives great advice, so definitely take all your career questions to him! (HCB highly recommends.)