Jackson Free Press

It's 2:10 p.m. You're on the Internet with MySpace, Facebook, Gmail, IM and iTunes minimized on your toolbar. It's a normal day. You woke up late, took the dog out, ate some cereal, talked to Mom, thought about looking for a job and called a friend.

In some regards, you're aware that your current lifestyle might label you as a complete "waste of space." You're accomplishing next to nothing and dedicating your time to menial tasks and random hobbies. Trouble is, you don't know what to do, or exactly what you want to do.

You aren't sure how to go about the whole finding-a-job thing, and suddenly it feels as if all of the work and time you dedicated to getting good grades and earning a degree might not come in so handy after all.

You've sent in dozens of resumes, and nothing has worked out. You don't want to end up 38, living in your parents' house, eating cold chicken-pot-pies in your pj's, watching Oprah and chatting with other computer junkies about how you could have really made something of yourself.

This is post-college life.

A bizarre phase indeed—the limbo between graduating and moving into the "real world." To those of you who recognized yourself above ... greetings to all my fellow graduates who are feeling lost and confused.

It's a difficult time. There is advice pouring in from all directions. Some are saying to wait it out until a job you really want comes through. Others instruct that the best thing to do is just take any job you can and then wait for something better to come along. But let's be realistic, most of us can't live off our graduation money forever, so getting a job is mandatory.

Speaking of reality, that's where we graduates should reside. I'm finally realizing that it's not about getting the "perfect job" because a first job isn't permanent. It took the wise words of a college professor to drill that into my head. Her advice was not to worry so much about what your first job is, because today people change jobs and professions frequently. The key is to think in broad terms about what you're doing and how it might apply to other jobs or fields. This made me realize that every job has something to offer, even if it teaches you what you don't want to do.

Being realistic doesn't have to mean giving up on your dreams, but it does mean turning them into obtainable goals. It means paying your dues so you can work your way up to a position you really want.

This is all new to me, and maybe I'm still being idealistic, but I think that success shouldn't be measured by the amount on a paycheck but from the contentment that comes from doing something you love, or having a job that at least brings you some joy. That's my own personal advice, supplemented with the words of those who have gone before us: use your connections, let people know you're looking for a job, and start thinking about a job not only as a place to use what you have learned, but a place to learn more.

The advice I actually feel qualified to give would be to those still in college. Here it is: Get an internship or a job in a field you might be interested in now. Yes, now. In retrospect, I see that instead of working to get that 4.0, my time might have been a little better spent getting experience out in the "real world," because that's where we're moving, graduates. The real world. So pack up your bags, follow your heart, and in time, I think we'll all find our niche.

Previous Comments

ID

84605

Comment

So true. Great article!!!

Author

sparks007

Date

2006-08-28T23:05:12-06:00