It’s come to that time when some of us have recently
graduated, others are about to graduate, or some have their last year pending
before the big day. Either way, graduation and the limbo phase that you enter
into after is an unavoidable part of your steps to success.
For the majority of young people, we get so entangled in
education, that the world seems like a bubble for our first twenty years or so.
And no one really sits you down to tell you what to expect afterwards. You’re
kind of just expected to throw your graduation hat into the air and wake up the
next morning falling head first into a high-earning role and kick-starting your
career. That’s how it’s portrayed – no one talks about the fine print, the
disclaimers or the words between the lines you were meant to read.
And what if you’ve done a creative degree? We’re always told
that the creative sector is the most competitive, and if you were brought up
like me, you might even have been discouraged from pursuing a career in the
creative industry because of the lack of job security. But what if that’s what
you really want to do? Yet we’ve been told that 9-5’s are the only way you can
function as an adult. And that being your own boss is far too idealistic, and
you need to have a career focus. We’ve been told that if we’re interested in
more than one thing, that just too damn bad – just pick one and stick with it.
We’ve got bills to pay, didn’t you know?
And perhaps the most frustrating thing about adulting is being faced with the
mind-numbing debt, bills and rent that are here to haunt us for our lifetime.
Without even the basic knowledge of what skills you would like to exchange for
money, having to deal with that within your first year as a graduate isn’t
exciting.
Don’t get me wrong though. Being a graduate is thrilling
too. You get to carve out your own future, and you know that your path will be
your own. For years, you were struggling alongside your classmates and course
friends, but now you’re independently mastering life. It’s fresh, spontaneous
and a part of your future. And there’s a lot of positives that come with that.
But you know the positives. That’s why you graduated in the
first place. I’m here to discuss how you can approach the blank spaces that
no-one filled in.
Firstly, have a look online for inspiration. What have
people that graduated with your subject fallen into? Have a look at your
university too. Call them up and ask what previous graduates of your course are
doing now. This isn’t a quest to follow suit, but a better understanding of the
sorts of skills your degree prepared you with.
And what about your own interests? Of course you paid an
extortionate amount of money for your degree, but it doesn’t always have to
relate to your career choice. What do you actually enjoy doing when you break it
down? Are you the party planner? Do you love reading stacks of books at a time?
Do you constantly doodle on paper without even realising? Do you always make
your own cards for special occasions instead of buying them? However small it
may seem, write a list of things you enjoy. It’ll be handy, trust me.
Keep building that list up over time. It’ll allow you to
filter out things you don’t like, and keep you doing the things you love. When
you land a job, it might not even be what you expected, or what you necessarily
like. However, I guarantee it will teach you skills. The silver lining of
trying something out is that you will have a solid idea of the working world,
and how to conduct yourself in such an environment. Above all, you need to
remember to not put pressure on yourself to land your dream job, if you have one, right away. Society has a wonderful way
of making us feel like we need everything now, as soon as possible. The younger
the better. Everything is so fast paced, it can feel overwhelming. The
important thing to keep in mind is that there is no time limit for you to get
to where you feel right. If now isn’t the time, it simply isn’t the time. Keep
building up your bases, working at your skills, and doing what you love in your
spare time.
It’s an uncomfortable time, but the best place to be in a
wave is to ride right through it.
All the best to you,
Kalina
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