Life after college is daunting. It’s scary not knowing your next steps or where life will take you. I graduated college in August 2024, which was almost a year early. I was proud of myself, but at the same time, I wondered if I rushed it too much. 

I was originally on track to graduate in May, which was a full year early, because of the amount of college classes I took in high school. I had pushed my graduation back until December by taking less classes a semester — 12 hours, the minimum for full-time — and working more. But then, the opportunity to study abroad one last time was presented to me. 

Since it was a summer program, I wouldn’t have enough classes to take in the fall to stay a full-time student, since it would’ve been my last semester. I didn’t want to lose my financial aid, so I took my last semester of college during the summer. Summer classes were stressful because since they’re only about a month long, the workload is heavier, and the course is jam-packed each week to fit a semester’s worth of work into a few weeks. 

While the summer was a bit stressful, I was so thankful to study abroad one last time. I studied in Costa Rica for two weeks and stayed with a local family during my time there. I loved diving into their culture and seeing all the beautiful provinces of the country. We visited five out of the seven provinces. The country is so green and lush. It’s gorgeous 

Studying abroad was the highlight of my college career. I started with a two-week summer program in Peru, then studied abroad for a semester in Manchester, England, where I studied at the University of Salford and traveled across the UK and Europe, and lastly, Costa Rica.  

I ended up being incredibly grateful to study abroad again and graduate earlier than expected. It was a blessing in disguise, and even though I was anxious at first to transition from college to the workforce, I’m so glad I did it when I did. 

Now in post-grad life, I’ve been working for the same university I graduated from — Middle Tennessee State University — as a communications specialist for the Office of News and Media Relations in the Marketing and Communications Division. I write articles, make and schedule social media posts, create graphics and send out news releases to local media. I’ve loved this role, but it was only temporary and part-time.  

I’ve been on the job hunt for a full-time career to jumpstart my life. 

I’ve done countless applications and interviews, but either got rejected, or I turned the job down. Many jobs were not as they’re advertised, or it simply didn’t feel like the right fit. I didn’t want to settle. I wanted to love my career and not dread my 9 to 5. 

After months of applying, I finally landed on my dream job. I accepted a full-time job with The Webb School, which is a 6-12 private school. I’ll be a communications specialist for them where I’ll be writing stories, doing social media, helping with marketing, designing the magazine and creating podcasts. I’m really happy with this role, and I’m excited to start in the new year. 

Navigating post-grad life can be intimidating and stressful, but it’s also exciting. Here’s some advice for taking this new season in stride and reducing anxiety from the change. 

• Know that good things take time. If you don’t have a job lined up when you graduate, that’s okay! It’s completely normal. Many companies won’t hire before you have your degree, so don’t feel unworthy or behind. 
• Take it day by day. Try not to plan your whole life out. It’s important to have goals and dreams, but don’t let the future be the only thing you think about. Enjoy the now and be patient with yourself. 
• Rejection is redirection. Oftentimes, recent grads experience rejection from companies they hoped to work for. As sad as it is, many companies want to hire someone with prior work experience. But that’s okay;  it just means that it’s not meant for you, and that there is something better coming. 
• Don’t compare yourself to those around you. It’s easy to feel discouraged when your friends or LinkedIn mutuals are getting jobs. It’s okay to feel this way, but everyone’s timeline is different. It’s important to still encourage and be happy for those around us getting new opportunities. It doesn’t mean you’re a failure or behind. The right opportunity for you will come along. 
• Be confident that you’re capable of getting a job you love. Apply and interview with that confidence. Don’t let yourself become overly anxious. Know that you have the skills you need and show that by discussing your relevant experience and skills on your resume, cover letter and in your interview. 
• Your job right now doesn’t have to be your career forever. Your first job will likely be the steppingstone to your future career. Make sure it’s something you’ll love and enjoy, but don’t put the pressure on yourself that you’ll be there forever. 
• My friend and coworker said this to me, “It only takes one person to say yes.” That’s amazing advice. Don’t focus on rejections. Focus on the fact that only one company needs to take a chance on you. And that one person will come! 
• Don’t be discouraged if it takes a while to land on a job you want. These things take time, especially if you’re applying for a field with either a large demand or a low supply of opportunities. I was searching for a marketing or PR job, which are largely in demand and also often require many years of experience. 
• Don’t apply willy-nilly. I used to be guilty of applying for a ton of jobs on LinkedIn that I didn’t love but were in my field. I think it’s important to be intentional with your applications. Envision yourself in that role and if you’d truly want it. 
• Think about what you want location wise. For some people, it’s not worth it to make a long commute daily or to move, but for others, they want to work in a different city. 
• Build up your experience as much as you can. Even though my job in the Office of News and Media Relations was only part-time and temporary, it looks incredible on my resume. Don’t be afraid to start a part-time job or internship in your field before landing on a full-time position. 
• Increase your skillset. Muck Rack and LinkedIn have amazing free courses to improve your skills in your field. You can even teach yourself applications like Canva, Adobe, video editing, etc. if those are relevant to your desired career. 
• Carefully craft your resume and cover letter. It’s important to showcase your relevant experience — don’t fill your resume up with jobs that aren’t relevant. Include your skills, such as applications you’re experienced in, certifications, awards, etc. Make sure it’s only one page, since you just graduated. I used Canva to create mine, but a word doc works just as good! 
• Perfect your LinkedIn. Employers heavily rely on LinkedIn as a way to see your portfolio. Make sure you have a professional headshot and your job experiences, certifications, awards, relevant courses, etc. on your profile. Add as many of the fields to your homepage that are relevant to you as you can. Make sure to post often, showcasing your experiences and projects. 
• Use websites other than just LinkedIn to apply for jobs. I used to only apply through LinkedIn, which I found was overly saturated with hundreds of applicants per job, so my resume likely didn’t get viewed by the employer. Apply directly on the employer’s website when applicable, or use Glassdoor, Indeed or Handshake to apply. I found that I heard back from employers and got more interviews on those sites. 

Those are my post-grad tips! I hope they were helpful for you. Make sure to be kind to yourself during this transition, and practice self-care often.