For those who are entering their early years of post-grad life, I empathize with you. I hear you and understand what you are going through. Graduating college is such a huge and exciting step in life. You feel on top of the world. You are entering a whirlwind that is unknown but also filled with promises and hope. But where do you even begin?
Looking at all that lies ahead of you is daunting yet thrilling. You are starting your career, possibly moving, calling a new establishment home, meeting new people, and discovering unseen places. How could this not be exciting?! You are turning a page to the next best chapter. Let's talk about how to overcome the post-grad scaries.
When starting into post-grad life, take the life events as they come. Chunking out your life plans makes it a lot less overwhelming and more manageable when you are entering uncharted territory.
Start with one focus then move to the next. For example, if you are looking to possibly move, where are some places that offer the most opportunity for your career field? Where can you grow? Where is the most affordable for your lifestyle? There are many factors to consider when moving after college. Write down different places, pros and cons, and what you believe are benefits to living there. From there, you can begin to focus on the right place for you. Trust me, when you have all your options written out, the right one will pop out at you.
Now let’s go to the job part. You have your city or town that is of interest, where can you work? Research different headquarters in the area to see if there are openings that you would be interested in. Begin connecting with professionals in your field who live around that area or a neighboring city to start getting your name out there. Talk to people about what the position and industry are like and consider if it truly would be a good fit for you.
Steering away from the professional part of life, there is a major social aspect of post-grad life. Whether you are sticking around your hometown or college town, some old friends might disappear. It is a sad reality that you have probably already experienced in your life after you left high school. Friends come and go, but those who stay, now they are your true support system. If friendships can survive different moves, the awkward and growing years of high school and college, those friendships probably are not going anywhere. However, there will be a point where you will want to meet people. A lot of the time work is a great place to meet others, however, if you are like me and don’t have anyone your age at work to bond with, then it is time to put your brave face on and put yourself out there.
Meeting people after college can be difficult. In college, you have this bubble you rely on and there are many commonalities of the people you are surrounded with. But once you are in the post-grad world, the way to meet people is by leaving your home. As much as you love your space, no one will come knocking at your door asking to be friends (even though that would be so nice).
The best way to meet friends is by joining activities that you have an interest in. Whether that is a sport, a hobby, or a fascination with something like museums, you can find public groups all over that host events. This will be the best way to meet people and give you some starter topics for conversations. Make the effort to find genuine people. People go to these events knowing they will meet others, so don’t be afraid to talk to strangers.
Many young twenty-year-olds resort to bars to meet people. While this can be an avenue for some, others might not necessarily like it. In my experience, I have never met anyone at a bar or restaurant that I talked to after leaving that establishment. The liquid courage gets people chattier, but it might not be a genuine connection. It is hard to tell if someone has pure intentions when you are both liquored up. All that to say, just be careful when you are out partying. Don’t trust so easily and if you do meet someone out, try to spend time with them sober to see if they are who they say they are.
These are just a few different aspects of post-grad life chunked out. There is so much more for you to think about. But I hope this tactic shows you that it doesn’t have to be overwhelming. You have the power to shape your twenties, and the years beyond. Do what you want and never be afraid to step out of your comfort zone.
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