Figuring out the path forward after graduation is daunting. It can feel as though your entire life is literally hanging on the precipice of either taking off or taking a nose dive based on just one decision. Your network, the quality of your education, your professional and earning trajectory, your friends, even your potential life partner all dangle in the balance of this sole decision.
Good God….no pressure!
And, I haven’t even touched on externalities, which come into play that can totally alter your choices and selections. Like a pandemic, for example, that up ends the market just as you are entering stage right. It’s enough to make a person freeze on cue.
Well, after four decades of living, fumbling, changing, failing, and, ultimately succeeding…I have good news to share: there really is no wrong answer on life’s multiple choice exam; only experiences to be gained that become leverage-able as you continue along life’s path. Man! I wish someone drilled that into my head back in the day so I could relax a little and enjoy the ride a lot more…
Since hindsight is 20/20; I’m sharing my prescription to help with your forward momentum.
First, don’t be afraid of being undecided. After high school graduation, I had no clue what I wanted to do with the rest of my life. So, I went off to my freshmen year of college and felt totally left out watching folks move through their predetermined course tracks of law, accounting, engineering, etc. as if on an assembly line; while I remained a self-proclaimed fumbler in the “Undecided” lane. How were they so sure at our age, I wondered? Actually, most weren’t but did as expected. If you are unsure about deciding on a major from the get go — don’t sweat it. The answer will surface.
Next, embrace every odd and end job: work whenever possible — as if your professional trajectory depends on it… because it does. During college, like many, I waited tables. That stint taught me that I enjoyed public interfacing and service — both became stilts upon which I built a two decade long career well before I knew I would. I also cleaned houses. The skills I uncovered from cleaning houses was the foundation upon which I built my entire change management leg of my career. I realized quickly that I was good at organizing chaos; cleaning up other people’s messes; and transforming environments. Trust me when I tell you that there is barely any difference between a change management consultant and a maid — only pay and uniform.
Then, after I graduated college with distinct honors and a sociology degree, I couldn’t find a job anywhere. And, I wasn’t ready to pursue a graduate degree because I wanted some practical professional experience. So, I joined a temp pool until I was placed in the most plausible area for an honored degreed sociologist — insurance. The insurance industry drove me to the brink of boredom and the corporate world gave me a glimpse into office politics long before I was ready. But, again, I learned an invaluable set of expertise that I carried with me. I gauged how to assess risk. I never imagined my nearly 2 year run would be as useful as it turned out to be… even as I went into international affairs and socioeconomic development, I leaned into my insurance background for assessing geopolitics and business financials.
Later came my calling to go to graduate school. After 5 years of working in the real word, I decided to go back and get a graduate degree in Middle Eastern Studies. An Arab American with a degree in Middle Eastern Studies — how original? I didn’t care — I was following my nose, which never led me astray. While doing my graduate coursework, I happened into an off-the-radar opportunity to compete for an internship for course credit in another department. That internship changed not only my academic trajectory in terms of my thesis focus, but became the primary premise for my professional trajectory in management consulting — which at that point, I’d never even considered as a path. When unexpected opportunities arise, take them.
Lastly, I unfortunately did not take a gap year in my 20s and 30s, but I wish I had. A gap year doesn’t mean aimlessly couch surfing; it’s about getting to know yourself. There are many options to explore: domestically or internationally traveling, volunteering, or pursing a creative passion. I understand that a gap year is a luxury because many of us have to work. Allowing yourself time to think about what you actually want to do may result in you perceptually taking a step back to take two forward, meaning taking on work temporarily that you’d otherwise not considered as a “degreed” person. But, it’s amazing what you can discover about yourself when you give yourself time to get to know you — as opposed to doing what society expects of you. Don’t ever be afraid to pause and reflect for a day, week, month or even year.
All of the above will require the release of pride, predetermined notions, and the fear of judgment. But, alternatively, you can “anchor yourself in flexibility” (Adam Grant, “Think Again”), which — with a little discernment from your own hindsight — can build your momentum and propel your forward motion.