Most of us have been enrolled in some sort of school since before the age of five, each graduation leading to only the next step in our education. For some, earning a BA or BS marks the end of a long journey of mile-long papers, exams, those lovely stress breakouts, all nighters, and a couple thousand pots of coffee.
This all seems quite fabulous doesn’t it? At least the thought of a life without midterms and finals brought on some thrills for me. The more I thought about it, I realized that the next logical step is the beginning of our careers. Yes ladies, putting those hard-earned, thousands of dollars-degrees to good use and getting a grown-up J-O-B.
I can’t tell you how many times I myself have thought and heard my friends say, “I need to figure out what I am going to do with my life.” It defines the Quarter Life Crisis to a T and makes perfect sense. It’s the first time we haven’t been carried or generally directed to our futures. Sure, we’ve worked so professors will hand us worthy recommendations and we’ll have the tools to fulfill a niche when we step into the work force. But no one is going to make us find a job and there isn’t going to be anyone (besides your parents wanting you out of their basement) pushing you to look through hundreds of pages of job descriptions. The motivation has to come from inside.
But how do we do this? You know that saying, better safe than sorry? That’s where this comes in. I told myself that if I do everything I possibly can and make legitimate plans during my last years in college to plan for the workforce, I won’t be anything but ready- and if that means turning down opportunities to hang out with my friends after class or giving up my days off, so be it.
I loved all of my college jobs, but I know they won’t pay the bills. And even though I will forever cherish the relationships, laughter and inside jokes, it’s time to think ahead. There comes a day where you will have to throw in the towel of your college job and embark on a new path – a career.
Here are some steps I thought about:
Remember to put your procrastination skills away
Time ticks by. It doesn’t stop just because you don’t feel like thinking. So if you are close to graduating (or just
want to make me proud) plan out the rest of your semesters. What needs to get done in the spring? What classes are offered when? As soon as that is figured out, you can see when you have spaces in your schedule to catch that internship.
Get an internship!
Yep, it’s the next logical step. We learn so much in the classroom; there is no denying it. But practical knowledge is just as important – that’s what we will be doing in our future jobs. I can’t tell how valuable my internship experiences have been thus far and how many of my friends feel the same way. Apply, apply, apply away – but be focused and know what your interests are.
It’s All in the Little Things
We live in a world marked with thousands of eye-satisfying images. What do you look at first – the professionally done poster, or one created with a sheet of copy paper and black permanent marker? Make your résumé stand out amongst the thousands of stars. Learn some skills in graphic design and formatting. I took an EXTREMELY long time to put mine together, but it definitely paid off. Your résumé may get you in the door, but don’t expect it to carry you forever. Present yourself through your actions on a daily basis as a professional.
Tiny steps like these made me feel better about the quickly approaching time of uncertainty.