It all starts when you’re a little kid: “Mommy, I want to be an astronaut!” or “Daddy, I want to be a firefighter!” And Mom and Dad tell you that you can be anything that you want. Well, where are Mom and Dad now that I need a job and am not qualified to go into space or a burning building?? There are plenty of struggles in finding a post-college career; here are a few:
1. You didn’t learn anything useful in high school, so you really have no clue what you like and don’t like.
2. You still think you can be whatever you want (thanks Mom), so you go for whichever major sounds the most glamorous.
3. But then you flunk or you’re bad at it or you realize that it will make absolutely no money at all.
4. Then, you change majors to something very dry, like finance or engineering, because you know you’ll get a job.
5. But for those of you who still have hope (like me) and choose a major like communication or music or marketing, you have so much to do that it’s stressful, despite being a subject you love.
6. Internships are definitely useful: they help you find what you don’t want to do.
7. Then as a senior, you know which career path you want to follow and have exactly 8 months to find a job before Mom and Dad feel totally let down and disappointed in you.
8. Panic.
9. LinkedIn.
10. Crying.
11. Then, by some miracle, you get offered a job that seems somewhat interesting, and you go for it. Guess what? You LOVE IT!
Granted, I’m still stuck at step 10, but one day 11 will come to me, just like it will come to you all intelligent people studying in the library. Stay strong and stay focused!