(CortacaToday) — It’s difficult to know the answer to, “What next?” 

The trajectory might not start with the dream-job or city, or the network of colleagues and plethora of opportunities your heart so desires, not that the choices aren’t abundant. Rather what feels like the right choice to start your trajectory into adulthood may not be readily apparent. Finding what feels most aligned with your needs and values in your work-life isn’t instantaneous, not to say this won’t be inevitable. It’s to say that finding this sort of resonance post-grad is a building-process. Instant-gratification culture can make many feel behind, when the reality is that the process and the work of “getting there,” are more important than the result of having a job title that sounds “nice.” Initial roles post-grad may be stepping-stones and should be appreciated as such. That said, we all need a starting point, so here are five ideas and helpful resources to help you take the next step:

  1. Did you know that you can get a graduate degree for free?

    As long as you’re willing to put in the work and apply yourself in research or an assistantship, those looking to continue education but not at great expense should consider applying for a fully funded master’s program. People assume that a stipend is only awarded to PhD students and those in research graduate programs. While this is primarily the case, there are exceptions. At the master’s level, full funding opportunities are less common but still can be found. For clarification, fully funded means you are offered a financing package from the university that includes full tuition remission as well as an annual stipend for living expenses for the years a student is pursuing a master’s degree.

  2. For continuing education, but with a potentially shorter time-commitment, consider a fellowship.

    • A fellowship is a funded short-term opportunity, typically both educational and professional in nature. It’s basically receiving a merit-scholarship to further pursue advancement in your discipline. This provides post-grads time to further apply what they learned in school without the commitment and pressure of a long-term contract. Again, you can find resources and more from ProFellow, which has a whole database of fellowships that you can sift through to see what aligns with your interests and level of qualification, as some fellowships are reserved for graduate students. In some cases, a fellowship will be more academic in nature, in others it will be more like any entry-level post-grad job. So make sure to vet your options and find what’s right for you!

  3. Define what success means to you and lean into your natural strengths. 

    • The first two options in this list may be more fitting for those who have a clearer definition of what discipline and industry they want to start in. If that’s not you, that’s to be expected! Be open and don’t let that less defined title diminish the value of the skills you bring to the table. Making career choices is common and it’s important to consider the perspective from which you’re approaching them. Think in terms of what skills you already bring to the table, what skills you’d like to be able to contribute, and the outcomes you want to feel like you played a part in. Too often, the sound of a job title and the salary it comes with take precedence over other factors like how personal values align with a role.

    • Try out a career assessment tool for a guided assessment of your strengths. To assist workers in exploring and planning career options, preparation, and transitions, the U.S. Department of Labor has developed self-directed career exploration/assessment tools. There are other free and paid-for options that may have more or less in-depth and personalized assessment tools. Here’s another for example. 
    • Attend a job fair like the one happening in the Cortland community here.  Job fairs are a great way to have a more personal experience with potential employers. At job fairs you can gain a greater overall sense of what’s available in your area and also really gain a sense of what a different companies are about. 

  4. Here are some helpful tools for finding your first “real” job.

    • As early on as possible, even if you haven’t finished your last semester, it is good to start looking for and applying to paid internships that explicitly state there’s an opportunity for it turn into a full-time position. If it isn’t stated in the advertisement of the internship but the opportunity is too good to pass up, it is always good to ask someone from hiring when you apply. At the very least, with a paid internship you’re gaining work experience post-grad with the potential of something longer term and secure. As an intern, the responsibilities still may be heavy, but a learning curve is to be expected of interns. Again, you can attend a career and/or job fair. You likely had job fairs occur on your college campus, but there are many more out there happening that are not hosted by a university.
    • Secondly, choose industry specific job boards. LinkedIn and Indeed are great for a general search but to narrow your results to say, nonprofit work, you want to choose a job listing site specifically for that industry. There are even job boards specifically for people who want a remote job. 

  5. Begin to up your skills with professional courses that are free on LinkedIn and other course hosting sites like Udemy and Coursera.

    • During the college semester, students are spread-thin when it comes to learning material. Especially in a liberal arts setting, when you’re covering all your bases, it can be easy to feel like a jack of all trades and a master of none. Not all courses on these platforms are available for free, but a fair amount are. Most importantly, there’s the opportunity to highlight the courses you’ve taken through these platforms on your LinkedIn, some providing a certificate at the completion of the course. Continuing education outside of the classroom will not only help you become clearer on what you want career wise, but will also widen your net of opportunities to be hired, as this makes you a more attractive hire.

Next up, read: Oven Fresh Jobs brings live job fair to Cortland. Go and talk to recruiters and explore your career options!