College Crossroads

By Sarah Knight on January 24, 2014

After almost four years of fun and hard work, it is finally coming to an end. Graduation is just five months away and it is time for all of us college seniors to start making some major life decisions. College really has been the best four years of my life, as I hope it has been for you all as well, but the time has come to move on and become “big kids.” Once we are graduates, we have a responsibility to use our $120,000+ education to go make the world a better place, to get a job that we enjoy and to make money to survive on our own. While this is definitely something to look forward to, it is also incredibly stressful. We receive pressure from all sides: our parents and extended family, our friends, our significant others, and mostly ourselves to figure out what it is we are doing with our existence now that we will be out of college.

Where we end up after college is attributed to many factors. We have to consider a lot of questions: What job do I want? Where are the best chances of getting that kind of job? Do I go home and live with my parents to save money? Do I move in with my boyfriend/girlfriend? Can I afford an apartment on my own? Where should I even live? All of these are questions that soon-to-be-grads ask themselves and each answer is dependent on another. In my opinion, the most important question of all is what do YOU want to do? We must consider our potential career paths and decide exactly what areas of interest we would like to work in. Once grads have decided the kind of job they want, they can apply to positions everywhere and anywhere. My advice is not to limit yourself to one place, especially not based on factors such as where your parents or significant other are located.

One of the first crossroad decisions to make is where you want to be. Once you realize what kind of position you want to get, you can start deciding exactly where you want to live. If you are looking for a position in a big corporation, you are more likely to consider living in a bigger city like New York, San Francisco or Los Angeles. If you are looking for a position in a smaller company then where you live may need to be more specific. To give yourself the most peace of mind, it is a good idea to start the job hunt around now (January) and keep it going until you are hired for a position.

While you may be busy with schoolwork and your social life, finding a job is not something to put on the backburner. Use your resources, talk to people you know and see who they know in the industry that interests you, use your school’s alumni network, reach out to people on LinkedIn. If you are willing to put in the work now, you will be happy with the results.

Since most of us are at a crossroads in our lives, why would we not make it easier on ourselves and start figuring it out? While standing at the crossroads, you cannot forget that it is YOU who has the power over which road you take and which direction you will go. The future is now in your hands, do not let it pass you by. Now is the time to make moves, it is the time to start YOUR future!

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