Post Graduation Blues

I have decided to write about issues that affect my life as a 20-something. So, the topics you find here will be very eclectic. If a blog like this one had existed when I reached my 20s, I think I would have felt much less alone. I hope this can be a source of camaraderie for my future readers.

I decided to write my first post about that transition between college and real life. For me, that was one of my first big-kid life changes, if you would. Like most academically inclined high school students who are fortunate enough to have a supportive family, I went to a University right out of high school. Moving into a dorm, you get that first sweet taste of independence. No parents to tell you what to do, No structured school schedule that your high school counselor set for you, no responsibilities that you don't choose for yourself. At this point, you allow yourself to believe that at 18, you are an adult. Let's get real though- you are living off of a meal plan and student loans are paying your bills. If you have a part time job, the money is just going to pay for beer and red box movies. Your college functions as a micro community. In reality, you could spend your entire college career never leaving campus. The library has movies and books, the student center has games and entertainment, computer labs offer a place to lose hours on the internet and print your papers, and the student store offers you all of the school supplies, dorm supplies, hoodies and sweat pants your little heart desires. So, at 18, you are no where near self sufficient.

So what happens when you leave college and suddenly find yourself sleeping on your parents couch- no school, no job, only friends from high school that never left town? Well, if you’re like me, it can be really easy to fall into a rut. As you start to look for employment and can’t seem to find a great paying job in your major, it is easy to feel defeated. You can’t pay back your student loans, and you wonder if it was all just a waste. You become depressed and reclusive and give up. That is the easy thing to do.

The point I am trying to make is this: the transition from college to real life is not an easy one. Most college graduates these days are not able to get a career in their field of study. So below is a list of my advice to recent college graduates or soon to be college graduates:

1) It is not what you know, it's who you know. We have all heard that same statement 80 million times and you ignore it because you have no idea how to know the right people. I personally have never gotten a job or an opportunity without knowing someone. That doesn't mean I owe all of my success to them, and it doesn't mean I didn't need the qualifications to land the job, but knowing someone will get your foot in the door, so:
-Make friends with your classmates. In most cases, sucking up to your teachers won't get you as far as you might think. They have been removed from the field for a long time.
-Stay in touch with people from high school
-Volunteer in your chosen area and stay in touch with the people you meet along the way.
-When looking for employment, don't be afraid to let these people know you are looking. They may not have connections, but they may know someone who does!
-Above all, be kind to everyone you meet. You never ever know who might be in a position to offer you the job of a lifetime someday.

2) Be patient and remain positive. Negative and pessimistic people rarely go as far in life.

3) Think outside of the box when looking for employment. Explore options you might not otherwise have considered. Your early 20s is a great time to do something different. Apply for jobs far away, join Americorp or the Peace Corps, Teach English in another country, whatever would bring your life meaning and happiness, do that.

4) Consider going back to school. I know, I know. You just graduated and you don't want to. If you're like me though, and you love learning, going back to school part time, even at a community college taking a couple of classes a week, looks great on a resume and can give you yet another useful skill. Best part? Your student loans remain deferred until you have built up your career.

5) Happiness is more important than success. don't let the $$$ be the only factor in your decisions.

Follow your heart, I guess. And know that for most people the path to success takes you up and down and around mountains and desserts and hillsides. It isn't a straight shot, and it may not even take you where you thought you were going. But in my most cliche voice possible: It is the journey that matters- not the destination.