Just wrote this response to a brother of mine who was asking for post-college advice. Wanted to also post it here in case anyone can take something from it:
Hey bro, first of all congratulations! You’re probably feeling a mix of emotions right now from excited to worried to afraid to anxious…but graduating is a huge accomplishment, so congrats!
With regards to your post-college career, my main point of advice to you would be to capitalize on every single opportunity that is brought in your path.
I was a sports journalist for my entire undergraduate career at UNR. I worked for the school newspaper, had many internships around the country, was editor in chief of my school paper, won awards – but when I finished school in spring 2012, I was totally lost. The journalism industry isn’t one that’s booming & it takes a lot of grit and determination to find your footing in it.
I applied for jobs, internships, assistantships (all in the sports journalism field), but nothing came back. I felt dejected & was really questioning the past 5 years of my life.
However, a big mistake that I made was fixating on trying to find a job in sports journalism, because that’s what my background was in. In reality, being a journalist equipped me with tons of skills that were applicable to many fields – the ability to write, communicate effectively, talk to people, work under stress, bring the main ideas out of a large amount of information, etc.
Once I realized this, I humbled myself a ton and start applying for jobs that I once saw as menial. Trust me, this took a lot of humility on my part – plus, I needed a job ASAP or else I’d have to move back home with my family. I eventually came to apply for a job as a front desk person at a gym that was a part of a hospital in Reno. I went in for the interview & I naturally highlighted everything else I was able to do. I told them about my experience with web development, design, copywriting, email marketing, etc. And at the end of the interview, they created a position for me as a marketing coordinator of the gym (which is actually the top gym in Reno).
LONG story short, this marketing position led me to a ton of amazing opportunities in life:
• I enrolled into grad school to pursue my Masters in Business Administration
• I moved on from this job to become the online marketing coordinator for this crazy successful entrepreneur
• I have my own online marketing business as well
• I took a position on the NEB as the director of programs, which helped me network a ton & have brothers across the nation who have my back at the drop of a dime
I tell you all of this stuff not to gloat, but to let you know that none of my good fortune would’ve happened had I not humbled myself and taken opportunities that were right in front of me. When I was focused on entering the journalism field, I passed by other opportunities. But when I opened myself to other opportunities, I became very blessed.
One opportunity led to another, one connection led to another, one network led to another – all because I just put myself out there.
The truth is, very few people get to jump into a career they love & are destined for at a young age. A very, very small percentage of people do this. That’s not to tell you to just give up and go the route of the other 99.9% of the people in the world, but it’s to tell you that just because it doesn’t happen immediately for you after college does not mean it is still not in your future path. You can still work very hard in life at other opportunities, and eventually, they will lead you to your true calling.
Plus, by being a journalist, you have a ton of skills & abilities that are greatly valued in today’s society (writing, communicating, working on deadlines, identifying key ideas, etc.).
This probably wasn’t the response you were expecting, but it’s just to let you know that although things my seem unclear for a moment in your future, taking opportunities that come to you is quite possibly the best decision you can make in any circumstance.
Sorry for the LONG response lol, I just feel very passionate about things like this, because ultimately, they just serve to develop us as better people.
Hope this helps bro! Let me know what comes to mind & best of luck again..