Graduation Season: Decisions
This comes around every year...Well twice a year, if you graduate in December from College (like I did).I have a little cousin who is about to graduate from College in May, we've had several different discussions on post grad life. I thought I'd share with you what I shared with her about my experience and some things I wished I had done differently.So here I am, a post grad 12 years out of the academic game with my undergraduate degree in Business Administration with an emphasis in Marketing.When I graduated from College and while I was in College, I had a through or what I thought was a very solid plan. Marketing was interesting yes and so was Business (I originally started out in IT/Programming, but that's another story in it's self) had my mind set that I was going to graduate and BOOM get a job.
Well, it didn't quite happen that way....
I had worked for a small credit union as a paid intern most of my College life on breaks and worked in the administrative office of the school district downtown in St. Joseph, MO in the city I attended College. I also worked on campus in various offices so I thought I had some pretty good administrative experience and tie that with the degree, I thought I was guaranteed employment.Let me tell you I had been searching for a job since the September before I graduated December 16th, 2006 and didn't end up finding a job until late January 2007.Let me tell you the struggle was very, very REAL!Moral of this story is not really about work. Well it is, but it isn't.
It's about going for you dream(s)! And I say dreams, because I feel like it's okay to have more than one!
I know we here this a lot of time in graduation speeches, but IT IS REAL.I was groomed that going to College and getting a degree, in a high paying field was what you did.I didn't really discover what I truly loved to do, until I was a Junior in College and it was a bit late to change majors because I would have added a year of schooling to my plan, which sadly at the time I didn't have the patience nor the money to do.
I'm not preaching to go ALL in...
Please don't do that, unless you have a backup plan to your backup plan, by any means! Or unless you have a good safety net (i.e. parents with deep pockets or you're a trust fund baby).You here these success stories about people who just decide to drop all that they are doing and jump off the cliff....not wise to do, but if you think you can by all means!Graduation is often a step into the "Real World"....Maybe you've been taking care of yourself since you graduated High School, I'm not sure what you're circumstances are. But, if you don't already have a job and you're about to graduate this is a good time to really, really go for what you love.Often in conversation with about to be grads or fresh grads I hear a common tone...."I am going to apply here and get a job and life is going to be GREAT!" (to which I snicker and try to hold my laughter in)Money is great...I'm actually a big fan of it, it allows me to do a lot of different things. However, if you're not happy at that corporate 9-5, the first few years will be tolerable and then you'll become miserable.
Who likes to be miserable?
Hopefully, you've done some serious soul searching prior to your graduation date. Really I hope you started before you went into the degree program you chose, but it's not too late if you haven't. It's hard, believe me I've been there.Decisions, Decisions I know.Just like I told my cousin...take from someone who had to learn the hard way!Until next time....