Looking ahead after graduation

Thinking about what comes after college can often be difficult because it brings about uncertainty, something not all of us are used to since we’ve been living in the comfort of the classroom for quite a few years.

Four years after we made our college decision, the current process of applying for a full-time job feels like deja-vu. This time around, there is no equivalent to a May 1 decision day—instead, it’s the rest of our lives.

Social media is flooded with obligatory job announcements with congratulatory comments and well wishes from friends and family. For those that are still in the middle of the job hunt, watching the success of your peers is sometimes a bitter pill to swallow.

I see a lot of my friends starting off on the right foot with their applications and then feeling discouraged when they don’t get the job. It’s hard to get back up again when you’ve put in your heart and soul into something. I know, I’ve been there. and Trying not to take rejection to heart is difficult.

I think a lot of us want validation from the world, especially when we’ve worked so hard to get to a stable place during our four years of college. It’s taken me awhile to come to terms with what it means to “get” a job.

The phrase “getting” a job implies that it’s somehow given rather than earned. To “earn” something, you have to work for it, and if it doesn’t work out the first time, you have to take a step back and reassess what you’re doing to get there.

Resumes, portfolios, cover letters, applications, LinkedIn invitations, networking events, button up shirts, emails and interviews: the recipe for success is the same as failure or rejection. More often than not, we think to ourselves, “Am I doing enough?” “What makes me different than that person?” “What can they do that I can’t?”  

It’s easier said than done, but comparing our journey to someone else’s is only going to hinder progress rather than encourage it.

Whether or not you’re comparing your success to someone else’s, sometimes comparing our own current endeavors to past experiences is even more detrimental to finding satisfaction. After all, comparison is the greatest thief of joy.

Every day, we hear stories about people going to their first 9 to 5 job with wide eyes and high hopes for the future only to end up losing themselves in the mundanity of their own routine.

Someone could come across as happy and successful because of the way they present themselves or how much money they make. But, beneath the surface, the person who appears to have everything is longing for so much more.

Taking this into consideration, it comes as no surprise that well-known entrepreneurs and celebrities become philanthropists or get involved in side projects. A career might pay the bills and provide their families with a comfortable lifestyle, but taking on a small business or working with a non-profit is what brings them the most joy.

Letting go of the inhibitions that are in the way may just be imperative for figuring out what many people haven’t already discovered about themselves.

Pursuing a passion project or consistent hobby might be the key in balancing work and personal life. Whether it’s a love for making art, running marathons or learning an instrument, the saying “if you do something you love, you’ll never work a day in your life” isn’t exclusive to a career.

As cliche as it sounds, taking the time to cultivate something outside of work is just as important, if not more rewarding.