Graduation — a word college seniors hear too often for it to only be fall quarter. Family members probing you for details about your foreseeable future. It’s almost the season to start planning the rest of your life.

We’ve heard that the job market is strong, and we college seniors are about to get some first hand experience mostly because we do not really have a choice. Everyone is anxious that the second we walk across the stage and are handed our degree, we are expected to have it all figured out. But, spoiler alert: no one has it figured out.

I have often heard that if you are a senior and haven’t applied to jobs yet by winter term, you’re behind and more or less out of luck. But does not having the next few years planned out mean that your career is doomed before it even starts? In my opinion, nope, not even close.

The recent unemployment rate for college graduates that hold a bachelor’s degree is 4%. That means that there is a 96% chance of gaining employment post-grad. Another thing to keep in mind is that gaining any type of employment is better than none. There’s absolutely nothing wrong with taking the time to work and save up some money because you’re destined to learn something. Landing your dream job straight out of college could be an aspiration, and while that’s okay, creating more short-term realistic goals will be more rewarding.  

Being expected to have your whole life and career outlined by the time you are 21 or 22 is equivalent to knowing exactly what classes you want to take in college during your high school graduation. Our interests and passions change throughout college, and that does not stop when you graduate. 

Post-grad is just another opportunity to figure out what drives you to feel successful. It is not  a stopping point. Find things you are passionate about, no matter how random, and use them as inspiration to find a career.
While you can try to perfect your post-grad plan, it is nearly impossible and subject to change. You can exert all of your energy attempting to plan as much as you possibly can and stress yourself out or you can commit to working hard. Take the opportunity to grow from any type of career “failures” that you might endeavor during your senior year, and know that graduating college is a small part of a much bigger picture.