What to do after college

[z28dreams]

A few tips from a guy that really F'ed up after graduating college:

(1) Definitely take any experience-building job. Try to find something at least remotely close to the general direction you'd like to head. Experience is the absolute best thing to have on a resume

(2) If you're planning on going to grad school, take the exams for it now (MCAT, GMAT, LSAT, etc). You'll be a lot sharper because you're still in school mode, rather than taking it a few years down the road. Most of these exams are good for about 5 years.

(3) Start considering working on your own company part-time now. Once you get older, you can't take the risks that you could when you were younger because you'll have mortgages, wives, kids, etc.

As far as grad school, that's a toss up. If you want to go directly, you can knock it out and get it done pretty quick. The disadvantages are you'll be broke for another 2 years.

The other option is to go part-time while working full time. The plus is that a lot of employers will be part or all of your tuition. The minus is that it really, really burns you out while you do it.

Lastly, it's ok to bounce around between a few jobs to see what you like, but try to pick a career path within 2 years or so. I've changed jobs about 3 times now, and it's getting frustrating because you never really move up, but just sideways because you're crossing industries.

Hope that helps.

[ChipWrecked]

I moved far away with $400 between my gf and me. We got a place and I took a retail job in a camera store because I didn't have a clue either.

The job did sorta suck, but I learned a lot about people, and the way the world works and [censored].

I smoked a lot of dope and drifted too long, so don't do that.

Now I work in IT and am pretty happy, doing a job that recruits people on late night TV. [img]/images/graemlins/smirk.gif[/img]

I was a business major at a Southern state school.

Good luck. Not knowing what the f to do after college is nothing new. Happens to the best of them. [censored] the h8ters.

[ActionFreak]

go to grad school now. it is too difficult to go back after you have money and bills. working and going to grad school absolutely blows. play poker and travel until grad school starts

[Fast Food Knight]

I graduated 1.5 years ago. Got a job, hated it, quit. Got another job, really hated it, got fired. Was uber depressed about not being in college anymore, applied to grad school, didn't get in (!), got a new job and absolutely love it. The moral: graduating isn't so bad, but it's totally imperative that you find a job you like or the transition is horrible.

[steggy]

[ QUOTE ]
Dude, no offense, but it makes no sense to go to college for something and have NO IDEA what type of job you can get or want when you get out of school. It cracks me up when you see all these communication/sociology/philosophy/etc. majors graduate and have no idea what they want to do or can't find a job in anything. First find out what you see yourself doing and what you would like to do and see if your bachelors in econ will be enough to get that particular job.

[/ QUOTE ]

I went into college knowing what types of jobs I could get, I'm now just wondering what types of jobs are best. What types of jobs get you into the best business/law schools? I was also looking for some input like, hey, this area is interesting and fun and fast growing (stuff that I don't know becuase I'm not working at a real job yet). I chose economics as a major because there are so many options available after you graduate.

I'm pretty sure most kids coming out of college do not know what type of career they will enter unless they'll be a lawyer of a doctor or something, so that criticism is unfair. It's not like I went into college saying ooh I'm just going to do this and have fun and won't think about my career until after I graduate. I did the work and got the grades, now I just have to narrow my choices down and make a huge decision about which direction I should go. Brushing that off as as a decision that is easy and one that should have been made before I chose my major is retarded.

The whole point of the thread was to ask people with real experience what entry-level jobs are best for people who have been successful in college and are looking for potentially fun, well-paying careers. I also wanted some input on how people transitioned from colleges to careers, and got some good responses and look forward to more.

Thanks

[NicksDad1970]

Join the military, the Peace Corp, become a Morman (if you aren't one) and do that 2 year thing.