What are you going to do after you graduate? Every college student has been asked this at one point or another. What inevitably follows is often, “I don’t know.”
Some may have plans of a corporate job with a comfortable salary. Others dream of owning their own business. What all of them lack is the concrete knowledge of what exactly will happen once they don their gown and take those last steps. That is why it is perfectly normal to be terrified and lost about what you will be doing after you graduate. Hopefully, the following information will help to alleviate that fear and give you the tools you will need to find your path.
Harness the fear.
The first thing to internalize is that it is OK to be afraid if you don’t let that fear prevent you from utilizing the resources at your disposal. If there is an opportunity to talk to someone influential, don’t let that chance slip away because you are afraid of messing up or making a bad first impression. If you can overcome that fear, then you’re well on your way to conquering the unknown.
Failure is OK.
One simple, yet understated maxim is to not be afraid to fail. Especially within American society, it seems like failure is overstated. We see it as the end of the road, once you fail you cannot continue. Failure should be an opportunity to do something again but with more experience.
Weigh the pros and cons.
To figure out what you want to do after graduating you have to be real with yourself. Sit down and make a list of possibilities for what you think your future might hold and then begin breaking down what each entail. Don’t let the expectations of others muddle what you want to do. Cull your list to two options. What do you want to do? What is economically and realistically viable? In a perfect world those would be the same option, but too often they are not.
Reality v. dreams.
The next question becomes whether you are going to go with the realistic option or if you want to find a way to subsidize your income while you pursue your dream. From there, come up with ideas to make either option happen.
Utilize networking
Finally, the most important life skill is learning how to network. No matter what industry you’re looking to go into, what will take you the farthest is who you know. Most often it is as simple as striking up a conversation. You never know who you’re going to run into.
This circles back to taking every opportunity presented to you.
Recently my teacher asked if anyone was interested in attending a lunch with a selection of business professors as well as the previous Idaho commerce director. This is a prime example of a great networking opportunity. I get to sit in a room full of influential people with tons of resources at their disposal. If you are worried about what to say, just remember that people love to talk about themselves, especially their accomplishments. Ask how they achieved their success. Then lay out your circumstances and ask for advice. This brings in the personal element into your talk. You’ve started making a connection that you can reference later. Here is when you can feel comfortable asking more personal questions. Ask what their biggest failure is, most importantly be able to read the situation. This is when you ask for their contact info and tell them you’d love to stay in touch.
Don’t be afraid to take any opportunity presented and don’t spend too much time planning for your future. If you create an immutable plan you, it will be difficult to adapt to the challenges life throws at you.
Griffen Winget can be reached at [email protected]