Are you suffering from graduation anxiety? (Photo: Macleans.ca)
As a college student, life gets pretty comfortable after a while. Sure, going to classes and studying can get tedious — as can a steady diet of ramen noodles, but you make it work. If graduation is looming on the horizon and the thought of leaving the college cocoon and venturing into the real world has you suffering from graduation anxiety, you’re not alone. The transition from college life to bonafide adult life is a challenging one, but not impossible.
The concerns students have are similar: I don’t want to grow up! I don’t want to get a real job! If you’re suffering from the Peter Pan syndrome, here are few helpful things to do before you graduate to start paving the way for your future.
- Talk to your campus career counselor. They’ll be able to discuss jobs and potential graduate schools with you and help chart a map for your future. If you’re freaking out, you can confide in these campus professionals. Plus, they’ll know when all the recruiters will be on campus. Which leads us to…
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Recruiter Jennifer Armitstead
Make nice with recruiters. Many companies will send recruiters to colleges to help them find potential interns and employees. As independent recruiter Jennifer Armistead told MCC, “Although you may have another year or two left of your education, and you might be thinking, well I won’t be getting a job just yet, by getting connected with a recruiter today will help you in six months or a year from now. It allows you to have that opportunity to build that relationship with the recruiter as well and then hopefully you’ll stand out from those other candidates, too.”
- Brush off your resume. Make sure to have a 2-3 line professional summary at the top of your resume, introducing yourself and your talents, qualifications, and skills to the reader. While it may be tempting to list every job you’ve had since your paper route, it’s important to consider your career field and include relevant job history and education. If you’re applying for a job at a finance company, don’t tell them about flipping burgers at McDonald’s.
- Land an internship. If you haven’t had a job for the last 4 years or so, getting an internship will give you relevant work experience for your resume. Make sure that you highlight your achievements on your resume. Companies who offer internships are often appraising you for potential full-time positions, so put on your best face forward. My brother-in-law did an internship with an accounting company after graduating in accounting, and was hired by them after his internship was complete.
At the end of the day, you’re still you, no matter where you live, or what you wear (because your new job may require you to expand your sweatpant and Uggs wardrobe), graduating isn’t the end of the world.
