So you walk that stage high, proud and ready to embrace life’s prime milestone. The stress and tears of sleepless nights is an understatement. All your parents’ hard earned money or yours if you are a working student (SALUTE!) is finally rewarded; all that for a single piece of congratulatory paper.
We are part of the growing millions who might think that once you’re done with school, you are finally an adult. That was my belief, and boy was I wrong.
Adulting. (v.) the duty to take on life’s heaviest responsibilities; to get a job.
There is so much weight stressed in “Adulting.” In short, welcome to the real world.
There will be this struggle of aligning things. You know what you want, but how in world will you do it?
You were made to believe that once you have a plan, you’re all good. Well guess again, there is no exact recipe to life’s chicken noodle soup.
The Hiatus
About 90% of fresh-grads will experience an economic hiatus.
You see your batch mate’s #thankGod post cause – Alleluia - they’re unemployed no more. The pressure is on. Even after graduation there’s that sense of competition. You feel more left behind than you already are. Then you start to ask, “Did I follow the right path? Did I get the right degree?”
If employers are taking longer to respond, ask yourself, have you done it all? There’s walk in applications, online jobsites, job fairs, go an extra mile! Invite more opportunities.
Stop overthinking. It isn’t usually because of your educational background, but rather, how aggressive you are in applying.
The Tease
During the hiatus, it seems like no one wants you. But once you’ve landed a job and start working things out, those once grey opportunity springs about, all at the same time! *insert Ogie Alcasid’s Bakit Ngayon Ka Lang*
I would say follow your heart, but the heart is a very complicated thing, so let’s go for…TRUST YOUR GUT FEELING.
As to awarding the honor of your final choice (oh believe me it won’t be final), measure your needs and your goals. Gut feelings aren’t there for nothing. My mentor/boss once told me:
“Between objectivity and gut feelings, most of the best decisions are made by the latter.”
And once you’re at it….
Brave your worth
This is something that my old boss taught me which I will forever treasure.
To “Name your price” might probably be the hardest interview question that almost all fresh-grads dread to answer.
Less to no experience equate to low wage? WRONG!
Do you not consider your four years of college (more or less) as one heck of an experience? In case you didn’t realize that, go back and read the first line of this article. No one knows you better than you.
Connections are the key
The best way to observe is up close. Make friends, and I mean with bosses too. You learn their ethics, they share their knowledge. They can be your mentors.
It’s either they open doors for you or you learn from them, or better… you do it for them.
Literally, the connections you make might be the ticket for your next big opportunity!
Add more to that resume
What better way to showcase your pride than an extensive resume.
Make yourself valuable even more. Either you want to level up your degree, take a short course for skills, learn from a mentor, or go totally leeway.
Flick that little person sitting on your shoulder screaming you can’t do it. Aren’t those lines familiar way back in college? But you survived that, didn’t you? And so will you now.
And lastly….
Adjust your goals
But never lose them! Let not the sudden twist in lifestyle dampen your spirit. Trust that fate is prepping you up, maybe not for bigger things, but better things.
To those young professionals and those en route to being one, Adulting might not happen at an instant, but you’ll get there, at your own pace and at your own time.
___
Come be a Virtual Assistant to get that added flexibility today. Or perhaps, you need one for your new venture?
Message me up. I’ll be glad for a little chitchat.
______________________________________________________________________________