I’m graduating this semester, which means that everyone wants to ask me (read: stress me out) about my future. The closer I get to graduation, the more frequently I am asked leading questions about my future plans, the prospects of graduate school, my potential career path (what are you going to do with an English degree after all, Teresa?). They’re kind of like contractions that exponentially increase in frequency, except I’m on the precipice of giving birth to a really big question mark and crying a lot while it is happening.
Because I could be applying for jobs right now but am writing this article instead, I wanted to brainstorm a bunch of strategies to redirect or respond to all those pesky questions. They come from good-hearted people, yes, but also intimidating people who already have a stable career with a salary, health care, stability, and peace of mind.
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I’m actually working on a very intense secret project right now that I can’t tell you about because I signed a non-disclosure agreement. I know! Super secretive! I am just so invested in the integrity of the work.
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I’ll be backpacking across whatever country you will not be in.
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I’m going to take up crocheting, open up an Etsy account, and just see what happens. I’ll start the price point high and readjust depending on demand. I took economics once.
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Hey, that reminds me, what are you doing about your retirement?
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It’s interesting you ask about my employment — we should talk about labor and its implications. Don’t you think capitalism is a rigged economic system designed to profit off of people’s labor and exhaust them so they can’t challenge the system because they are also dependently entrapped within it for survival? Weird.
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I’ll be working at a coffee shop and mooching off my father’s insurance until I turn 26. I hope I can learn how to make those leaf shapes in milk foam.
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I freelance. (When they ask you what kind of freelance work you do, just keep repeating and maintaining that you freelance until they give up.)
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Isn’t it interesting that we refer to retirement and health care plans as “work benefits” when they are basic rights and necessities that should be afforded to everyone regardless of what they do for work? Who are you voting for in this election, by the way?
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I’ll go to grad school eventually. Just gonna work for a bit after graduating and see how it shakes out, you know? When? Oh, you know. One to two years, maybe. Three? I don’t know, I’ll see how it shakes out haha.
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Can I get back to you on that?
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Rain check?
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I just remembered I forgot my dignity at home — I’ll be back super quick, I just have to go grab it.
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I would really enjoy talking about something else.
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I started making dance videos on TikTok so I should really start going viral any day now. It’s going to be sick.
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You know, I’ve been juggling a lot of pressing things happening in real time that have impeded my ability to plan ahead in actionable ways. Could we talk about how this topic gives me anxiety?
In all seriousness, I don’t think these questions of future plans need to feel so heavy. If someone judges your answer or makes you feel guilty for your choices, then that’s on them. Most opinions are projections of the self! We should normalize the acknowledgment of anxiety and have open dialogues about the difficulty of future planning. Maybe the future would be a lot less scary if we weren’t so fearful of being judged or belittled by others. The next time you’re talking post-grad plans, practice kindness and be gentle with one another!