How do you decide what to do with your life after college?

Hi Tamikia, first I want to congratulate you on realizing the importance of choosing a career with intentionality! There can be significant pressures (parents, student loan bills coming due) that lead many people to accept the first job offer that pays the bills. Hold on to your dreams!

After I graduated from college with a major in English Literature, I had no idea what I wanted to do, besides (probably) work in business. Someone recommended that I read and work through a book called "What Color Is Your Parachute?", and I am so glad I did – even though it required a lot of introspection and writing, and it took several precious months. This book is still being revised every year, and costs just $13. This book will help you get to know yourself, your values, your preferences, and your skills much better. It will also coach you in job searching skills. The stories it will have you write about your experiences will become rich material for future job interviews, in which you will be  selling your passion and potential more than your job skills. 

I believe in this book so strongly that I recently gave a copy to our friends’ daughter (a college senior), and bought another one for myself, because re-connecting to your dreams and values is an activity that we need to do throughout life.

I wish you the best of success, and I am sure you will do very well.

Graduating college is very rewarding! While you are in college your life does not stop and it will not stop after collage too. Always do what you love and always do your best in everything that you do. Once you graduate from collage you will feel great accomplishment and you will have plans and know where to go next. Don't think too far ahead, instead take it one day at the time and live in the moment.

Great question! I graduated from college a little over a year ago, and at the time, I felt the same sense of indecision you’re feeling. To my surprise, once I entered the workforce I learned most career paths aren’t always as clear cut as I thought. My college major helped me find a role that I enjoyed, but I didn’t let it limit me. In my case, I majored in advertising and marketing. While I originally started my job in marketing and communications, about a year later, I’m on a team focused on corporate social impact and purpose. I use many of the skills I learned in college in my role, but others on my team had different college majors or started in a different field. There are some careers that require more schooling than others, such as going into a medical field or becoming a lawyer for example. However, if you’re hoping to start working right after college, you may not need to worry so much about picking the perfect career. Once I started work, I was able to let go of that career path image I had in my head and instead pursue opportunities I found interesting and thought I could learn from.