[Repost] Uncertainty after college: some tips to identify your next big step
“What is your plan after college?”
“Where do you want to work when you graduate?”
If you are a college student approaching your final years in college or about to graduate, I am pretty sure that you have been asked the two questions just as much as I have. How do you feel when you hear the questions? Can you answer them in an instance?
If your answer is “yes, I know what my plan is”, please accept this sincere congratulation from me. However, if you need to pause for over 5 minutes and think about a suitable answer, give me a virtual hug because you are not alone.
Approaching my senior year in university, I have been asking about my career plan a lot more than ever. Everywhere that I go, when I tell people that I will get in my fourth year in a few months, they would ask me the two questions above. Every time, I would have to pause and try to think of a suitable answer or sometimes I just got too tired that I give the honest answer of “I don’t know what to do after my graduation.”
These questions got me wondering why such simple questions are so hard to answer, but then I realised it is because I was so busy with all the school works that I did not get the chance to think about all my options. So, if you are a college student like me, take a break and start thinking about what you will be doing, but if you do not know where to start, here are some tips that might help guide you with:
1. Close your eyes and ask yourself what is your one goal in life. If you still cannot see the goal, ask yourself what is that you see yourself doing when you are in your mid-life. For me, when I ask myself about my goal, all I see is me finally getting my own house by the time I am 30.
2. Now that you know what you want in life, start mapping out what path to take to reach that goal. If you do not know, you can start by asking yourself if you need to continue your study or engage in the workforce. Even so, remember that you still have a number of different paths to take as long as it can lead you to your goal.
3. Consultation is key. Planning your next big step might not be an easy task without help; therefore, talking to people and asking for guidance might also be useful for you with your planning. Either you decide to continue your study or joining the workforce, it is always best to ask those who have experienced the path before you about their experiences and their recommendation.
4. Believe in yourself. Self-confident is the main key to success. Believe that whatever path you are planning to take; it is a step closer to your goal. Start doing what you feel like and believe in yourself that you have made the right choice. Knows that it is okay to take a few wrong turns as long as it brings you to the same end which is your one goal in life.
I hope that these tips can help you identify your goal. I do not claim that I know what I am doing; however, we can start exploring and planning together. Just remember that the key to answering the question of your plan after college is to know your one life goal and walk towards it with confidence in every path that you decide to take.
Finally, see you in the next blog!!!
