Summer 2017 is right around the corner. That means sun, surf, and if you’re a recent grad, a whole lot of difficult questions that need to be answered. It may seem daunting to try to figure out what to do with yourself after you’ve graduated but Aced My Interview is here to help you figure out how to find your way after graduation with some advice on how to survive life after college.
Look Inside Yourself
One reason why you’re probably feeling uncertain about the future is because your future is uncertain. You may have a vague idea of what field you want to go into based on your academic and internship experience, but chances are you never sat down and tried to figure out what, exactly, it is you want to do. While it’s always helpful to talk to career counselors and mentors, the fact remains that this is your life and your future and nobody is going to know what you want and need out of life better than you. Take some time to do some introspection and figure out the most important things you want out of life.
Put Pen to Paper and Write the Map
Introspection is great, but that’s not going to be enough to get you through life after college. Once you’ve done some serious thinking, you need to commit these thoughts to writing. What you need to do to find your way after graduation is create a personal mission statement for yourself. It sounds daunting, but all this really means is that you’ve created a list of values and tenets for you to live your life by. Of course, this should not be limited to your job search. Rather, think about all of the things you want out of life. For example, it would be perfectly appropriate to write “I want to engage my community and help make people’s lives better” as a part of your personal mission statement.
Use the Map to Steer the Ship
Once you’ve created your personal mission statement, the hardest part of finding your way after graduation is over. You have a clearly outlined set of goals and principles that can serve as a guide for every major decision you make. By creating a personal mission statement, you have created a means of evaluating opportunities for yourself, as the choices you make (including the job you land) should fall in line with the goals, expectations, and principles you set for yourself.
Naturally, a personal mission statement isn’t going to help you with all parts of life after college. You’re still going to need to develop your skills and put in the hard work it takes to make your dreams come true. However, it’s much easier to learn how to find your way after graduation if you create a map for yourself. Your personal mission statement is that map.
