Hello Beautiful People,
As per request from an Instagram poll, this topic was a common request and I am happy to share an insight on my transition experience from college life to career gal.
I’ll start by saying transitioning your lifestyle from college to career is challenging. It’s an exciting time in your life but there can just be a lot of unknowns and everyone will have a different experience with their transition based on where they go after college. There are a lot of highs and lows you may experience on your journey from student to professional, and that is what I want to share today.
This has been based off my own personal journey from college to career, so be aware that your experience may differ from mine.
The Unemployed Phase
To start, I was unemployed for roughly 3 months post official graduation. During this time, I was doing some freelance work and applying for jobs. I applied to over 225 jobs via LinkedIn, Indeed, Direct Email and Company Websites; basically anywhere I could drop my resume. I received roughly 5 phone interviews, and out of those five, I went through only two interview processes.
Most college grads can average 6 months of unemployment, so I got a lot of praise from my peers for only being unemployed for 3 months. I’m a person who likes to be busy and productive, so this phase was super difficult and draining for me. Once again, this depends on your own experience with it but for me, I moved back home temporarily to save money. This obviously is not the ideal move for college grads, we just want to go right to career life but it doesn’t always work that way. I was thankful to have the option to stay at home while I was unemployed.
During this point, social media was a killer. I would watch many of my friends traveling, working, going out, moving to new cities, etc. FOMO was too real!!! It made me feel very isolated from my friends and where I wanted to be in my life. I had to take a step back from social media because of this.
Advice: Everyone’s journey is going to be different, please do not base your worth or success off someone else, especially on social media. You have to remember that everyone is only posting their best moments. We all go through different experiences and shouldn’t compare ourselves. It will damage your spirit!
It’s okay to be unemployed or working part-time while you wait to find that ideal job. It is not an easy place to be in a digital world where everything is moving fast and being shared publicly, but you have to set boundaries for yourself and be confident in your abilities. You will figure it out, just be patient with the process.
You got the job!
After interviewing with the two companies, I decided to accept an offer from Thermo Fisher Scientific for a Marketing Analyst position in their Anatomical Pathology Division. For me, this opportunity allowed me to take the next step and move into my own place and find the financial security I was lacking. It also is a great company to get my foot in the door and learn a lot about marketing in a corporate setting. The division I’m working for sells products for pathologist labs, which deals with cancer diagnostics. The down fall of this position for me was the location. I’ve always wanted to move out of Michigan but this opportunity did not offer that.
Moreover, I had to make a tough decision based on waiting longer to find another position in another state or take this great opportunity and live in Michigan (for now). I chose the latter.
I accepted my position in November, and now in February, I have never heard back from any of the other 220 jobs/companies I applied for.
Hard pill to swallow: The job market for some college graduates is TOUGH.
This makes the unemployment period draining because your confidence in your skills and talents is diminished. You put so much effort into cover letters and resumes to leave your unique mark, and then nothing comes of it and you get down on yourself. The internet has allowed for a higher volume of resumes to be sent to companies, and it’s much harder to be unique now.
Advice: Use your network! My aunt worked at Thermo Fisher and that gave me a referral for the position I chose. The other interview I got was also based off a connection from within my network. It’s all about who you know!
Working Gal!
After you accept your position, the next part of the transition begins. You may have to move to a new city or at least into your own place. Your schedule changes, depending on the field you’re in. You finally have funds to pay the bills, go out with friends and maybe even take a weekend trip. This was such a great feeling for me!
I always had to be super careful with my money in college and I was lucky to get help from my mom, but I always was cautious with my spending habits.
When I finally started accumulating my own income, it felt good to be accountable for myself and spend how I wanted. You still need to be aware of your spending and definitely set up a budget to fit your new income, but it’s super relieving if you were someone who had to work in college and be careful with money.
Advice: Set up a savings account and contribute to your 401k (especially if your company has a matching %).
The other positive is to be doing what you studied so hard for the past 4 years. Whether it’s where you want to be or not, the fact that you have a job is incredible, especially if it is in your ideal field or industry. I feel grateful everyday to have this job and have the opportunity to progress my skills as a marketer.
The loneliness no one discusses
Another difficult truth that not many people talk about is the loneliness that comes with starting a new job or whatever your next path is after college. After college, people move away and start having more busy schedules that clash with yours.
I am close to some of my friends still (couple hour drive) but it’s difficult when you work 8-5, five days a week. You have to prioritize your scheduling. Weekends fill up quick and they go by fast.
This can also be a difficult time if you are in a relationship, depending on what your significant other does. You may take jobs in different cities, or states; which makes it a little more difficult to hang out on a daily basis. It’s also a huge transition in your own life, supporting someone else in that journey can be hard when you don’t know your plans over the next few years.
They don’t teach you that in college!?
This has been one of my personal struggles because once again, depending on your financial situation in college, there may be a lot of unknowns enter your adulting phase.
Credit score, car loans/buying a car, 401k, health insurance, credit cards, taxes, car insurance – the list goes on.
I have been working on transitioning from depending on my mom to controlling my own finances. In doing so, you learn about maintaining your credit score, getting loans or paying student loans. This is another one of those situational things, but more than likely, you will run into some challenges when it comes to money, insurance or other adult things your parents once took care of for you.
I just started a joke anytime I run into one of these issues, I say “oh, they didn’t teach me that in college”. Life skills are obtained by doing.
The Good Stuff
On a more positive note, there are a lot of things to love about going into your career. I started with some pain points because I wanted to be honest about my experience with the transition. For some, it is easy breezy but for others it is quite the opposite.
Although there has been so many good things that came with starting my career, it has also been difficult making this huge transition on my own.
Some personal wins with this transition have included moving into my own apartment, getting good health insurance, buying a car, having money to spend on fun and lots of personal growth.
I’ve been able to invest in things I’ve always wanted to, I am able to afford dinners with friends, tattoos and trips to Chicago for the weekend. It’s created less worry around money for me, which was something that constantly stressed me out during college.
I mentioned feeling lonely at times, but I do believe that’s an important phase to go through as well. Although it sucks to feel alone, it truly makes you become more self-aware. You have to find peace and happiness in your own solitude. No one else can make you happy if you cannot find happiness within. Don’t be afraid to spend some time alone, it’s good for the soul.
I’ve had the opportunity to focus on my health and wellness. I have been able to purchase more healthy foods, get a gym membership and attend counseling when needed. This has been a huge focus for me in this transition.
I just purchased my first car, all on my own. This still feels like a dream to me. After driving an old car for so long, my 2016 Kia has got me feeling pretty fancy. It’s so rewarding to have that ability to purchase what you need/want.
Like any transition in your life, there will always be highs and lows. You will learn from the challenges that are presented, the discomfort will propel you towards personal growth and success. Your perspective is key. It may not always be the ideal situation and you may experience some difficult obstacles, but you are going to get past them and come out a better version of yourself.
My best advice to anyone going through this transition is to be optimistic and allow time to focus on yourself. It doesn’t have to be selfish, but you will be experiencing lots of change and your mindset is everything. As I mentioned earlier, you may find yourself in a place you don’t necessarily want to be, but you have to be patient and acknowledge that it’s part of your journey.
You have to continue manifesting what you want to come into your life. Work hard at it, whatever it is you want. It’s okay to mess up and make a “wrong” decision, but no decision is wrong if it feels right in the moment. It’s part of the process.
Know that everyday is a new opportunity to make a change or progress towards your goals. If it didn’t go how you wanted today, try again tomorrow!
I’ll be honest, I was super excited to get to this point in my life because college just was not my scene. I have always been excited about starting my career and creating my own thing. I’m a very career-driven gal. College was an amazing experience, and I’ll always be grateful for the opportunities it gave me. I’m just ready to see what I can accomplish in my career.
The last thing I have to say on this topic is this:
You should fail.
You’re probably thinking “wait what?”
But, the only way you will learn about yourself and find your weaknesses is through mistakes and failures. I don’t mean go purposely sabotage your life. I just mean that without failure, challenges and mistakes; we wouldn’t know where to grow.
If you are transitioning from college, you’re probably in your early 20’s. This is the time to fail. You may start in a job you thought you’d love and you absolutely despise it. IT’S OKAY! You may get into a relationship you’re not happy with, IT’S OKAY! You may have went to college longer than your friends, IT’S OKAY.
Life moves fast, but you really do have so much time to “figure it out”. You may feel the pressure from society, because trust me I feel the pressure; but you have to just keep hustling. You won’t know until you try.
And, if you try and it sucks, at least you know it’s not for you. Taste everything life has to offer you. Don’t get settled in at one place, life is a magical adventure if you make it that way. You are in control of your reality, so make it what you will.
I need to take my own advice, btw.
Okay, that’s all I got for you curious humans. If you’re still reading this, I appreciate you sticking around to hear my experience. I wrote this blog today as part of my “taking control of my dreams” mantra. Writing is something I love to do, so I need to do it.
What are you going to do?
xo, Lyss
