Life After College

Once you are in your last semester —or even the last two semesters— people will start asking about your future. They will wonder about your plans and your career path. Most of them will ask nicely and genuinely care about your answers. Some will only ask so they can compare you to themselves; do not listen to them. When it comes to life after college, you have to follow your dreams and take only the advice that will truly help you.

Making Plans

What were your dreams when you first started your major? Those are the ones you should hold on to. When you are getting close to the end, you should remember the thing that started it all. Regaining that motivation will push you to make the best decisions for your professional path. It will push you to reinforce the networking connections you made throughout your entire career. Once you have that, start making plans. Choose which kind of companies —and where— you would like to apply to. Research the kind of jobs that will align with your own goals and beliefs. Having a plan will make it a little bit easier when you are not following the same routine you had been following for so many semesters. 

Enjoying The Last Months

Once you graduate, life will not be the same. Being a grown-up after college is completely different from being the student kind of grown-up. Your responsibilities are different and you step into a world that will not be dictated by grades, homework, and teachers. Once you start working, your world will be controlled by a clock-in and clock-out time, hourly pay, taxes, and your bosses. Everything becomes a little bit more stressful which is why you should take advantage of your last few months and try to have fun. Hang out with your friends. Do the activites that you enjoy the most. Try to focus on things other than homework and classes all the time.

Polish Your Resume, Get References

By the time you start applying for your dream job, make sure your resume looks perfect. The format has to look professional and inviting. When hiring managers look at it, they have to see that the experience you have is worth hiring you and that you will be the perfect candidate. All of them will need references so talk to teachers or supervisors and ask them to vouch for you. Choose those that you have created bonds with so you know their answers will genuinely help you move forward in the interview process. 

Do Not Give Up

You might realize when classes are over that getting your dream job will not happen as fast as you wish it would. You might get so many rejections and such little opportunities for an interview. The percentage of people who immediately get hired is so little compared to those who apply over and over again until they are lucky enough to land an interview. But rejections —and even getting no answers— should not push you to give up. You should always keep fighting for the job, and the future, that you want. Do not give up on your goals. 

Life after college is not always easy. You will have ups and downs. You will meet people who motivate you and people who will try to put you down. But you are the only one who can fight to get what you want. Find your own routine and your own pace. You will realize that everything falls into place and one day you will have the life you pictured for yourself. College is only the beginning of your journey!