The one thing soon-to-be graduates all feel is the pressure of the future. And it’s strange how you feel it regardless of your plans.
“Am I too young to already have my career path mapped out?”
“Am I too old not to have my career path mapped out?”
“I think I know what I want to do…but does it have to be forever?”
Bottom line: Aim for something.
First jobs can often be shots in the dark or something you’ve been researching your whole life. You might think you know what you want, but quickly learn that’s not the case. Or maybe you just want to feel out an industry to see if it fits. And maybe it is the perfect match. It’s common to try out different fields before you make a decision—this of course doesn’t mean you switch jobs every two weeks. But your first job doesn’t have to be the only job for the rest of your life. It might be, or it could be temporary. So look at it as a learning experience. (Cliché, I know–but it’s true.)
Here are a few jobs and industries college grads often gravitate toward to give you a little guidance that also have transferable skills.
Sales agent – For people with a knack for business, a job in sales is very often their first post-graduation stop.
What you learn: Invaluable interpersonal communication skills. Even the best degrees can’t prepare you for working one-on-one with clients and all the unique situations that come with them.
English teacher – Teaching English either overseas or here in the U.S. has become a huge career option. Globalization means more people trying to learn English in order to do business.
What you learn: Just how much patience you have. Teaching is hard, and teaching English to non-native speakers is extremely difficult. It’s a rewarding path that requires patience and determination.
Public Relations – Majors in communication, public relations, journalism, business and even English are finding plenty of job opportunities in public relations, whether it’s with a PR firm or as a spokesperson for a non-PR company.
What you learn: Quick thinking, creativity and grace under pressure. No two PR jobs are identical, and they’re good ways to get yourself out there and network with people.
Information Technology – IT’s a huge field, so there are obviously dozens of different subsections within it. Nonetheless, technology is a growing field that continues to play a huge role in business, so there’s a definite future.
What you learn: How to be a problem solver. From little mistakes that people make to aggravating bugs that you have to fix, you’ve got a lot to deal with.
Accountants – Plenty of jobs in finance are popular among new graduates, and accountants are one of the top.
What you learn: Whether or not you’re ready to be submerged in numbers. You spend a lot of time training to go into the financial field, and some people get there only to realize they like working with numbers but they’d rather be in a different position than accounting. Others are quick to learn that it’s even better than they thought and that they’ve found their calling.
