Dear New Grads: It's 110% OK Not to Have a Job Lined Up Right After Graduation by Kat Boogaard

Dear New Grads: It's 110% OK
Not to Have a Job Lined Up Right
After Graduation
by Kat Boogaard
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TOPICS
Syndication , Career Advice , Getting
Started , New Grads
Photo of college graduation courtesy of
Shutterstock.
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AUTHOR
As I began approaching the last few
weeks of my final year in college, panic
slowly started to creep in. Why? Well, I
hadn’t managed to land a job yet. And,
in my circle of friends—which was
filled with overachievers who were
scoring these seemingly dreamy gigs
like there was nothing to it—my lack of
employment was definitely something
to be embarrassed about.
Along with the panic came a lot of self-
doubt . None of the places I interviewed
at wanted to hire me, which obviously
meant I was terrible. It wasn’t long
before I resigned myself to the fact that
I had earned my four-year degree only
to return to dishing out pizza slices in
my hometown restaurant.
If you’re quickly closing in on
graduation with these exact same
thoughts, rest assured that I know how
you’re feeling. I walked many, many
miles in your shoes, so I know first-
hand how disheartening it can be to not
have a fancy new title to gloat to your
friends about.
But, let me tell you something
important: Just because you don’t have
an amazing offer right now doesn’t
mean you’ll never get one. Those last
few months of college truly don’t set
the tone for the entire future of your
career—no matter how much it may
feel like it.
It’s totally OK to not have a great gig
lined up right after you graduate. In
fact, I think there are a lot of positive
things to be said for it. Here are just a
few of them.
1. Time to Recharge Is Never Bad
Yes, there will definitely be a time
when you look back fondly and miss
your college life. But, let’s just say it—
college can be pretty tough too. You
need to juggle finals, papers, a part-
time job, and a social life (if you’re
lucky). So, nobody can blame you for
feeling a little burnt out by the time
graduation rolls around.
Sure, there was a big part of me that
was screaming on the inside at the idea
of moving back into my childhood
bedroom in order to live the
unemployed life in my parents’ house
for a while. But, if I’m being perfectly
honest, it really wasn’t all that bad. On
the contrary, really—it was actually
kind of nice .
No, it’s not something I wanted to do
forever. But, having a couple of months
after the whirlwind of college to
decompress, switch gears, and (most
importantly) figure out what I wanted
out of a career, was truly a good thing.
When I finally did get an offer, I was
able to get started with a fresh mindset
and some recharged batteries—unlike
my friends who walked right off
campus and straight into a cubicle.
2. Speed Doesn’t Necessarily Equal Success
You feel like a failure for not knowing
your immediate next step after
graduation. I get it—I’ve been there.
But, believe me when I say that the
speed at which you’re able to land a
job really has no impact on your future
success. So, don’t fall into the trap of
thinking that your lab partner who
already has a gig lined up is destined
for a future as a CEO—while you’ll
never make it past the mail room.
It’s simply not true. Here’s a personal
example: I had a friend who was
offered a position two full months
before she put on that cap and gown.
We were all jealous. But, we later found
out there wasn’t much to be envious of.
Why? Well, the majority of her daily
responsibilities included using the
copier and making breakfast runs for
the top-level executives.
Yes, she landed that position right
away. But, that really didn’t end up
meaning I would be a full step behind
for the rest of our professional lives. In
all honesty, there really wasn’t much to
catch up with.
3. You’ll Make Your Friends Jealous
I spent the last portion of my college
career turning green with envy over my
friends who already had positions
waiting for them. They had a plan. They
knew where they were going. However,
when college came to a close and we all
moved on? Surprisingly, the tables
turned and they all ended up being
jealous of me .
While the idea of jumping right into
adult life sounded good in theory, it
turns out that it wasn’t so glamorous in
practice. They were all up at the crack
of dawn preparing for their morning
commutes. I got to sleep in a little
before spending the day job hunting .
They all felt like their lives were
consumed by nothing but work. Me? I
had more free time than ever before.
Of course, that didn’t mean I wanted to
remain unemployed forever . But, being
able to brag about my leisurely lifestyle
—when they had spent the last few
months hanging their “real world” jobs
over my head? Well, I’ll admit there
was a little bit of sweetness to that.
Not having a position lined up for you
right after college graduation can seem
like the end of the world. But, I
promise you, it’s not. In fact, there are
actually some real upsides to having a
little bit of downtime after you get your
degree.
And, if you ever feel yourself spiraling
into panic mode about your career
future again, just remember me. It took
me six months to land my first job out
of college, and I turned out just fine—as
least, I hope so.