As soon as your graduation is near, you have to deal with the harsh reality of the competitive job market and the real-world economy. And knowing what you want to do next beforehand can really help since it gives you more control and responsibility over your future choices, and helps you explore what you like and don’t like to have in your life, understand the job opportunities you should take up, and become more confident.
This is why career counseling can really help. If you’re just about to graduate, make sure you keep the following things in mind.
Tip #1: Set long-term goals
Most of the time, students only think about day-to-day life instead of planning for the long-term. As a result, they often tend to make the wrong career choices that they usually end up regretting down the line. However, you can avoid that by asking yourself – what do you want out of your life?
While it seems daunting, understanding your long-term goals will give you much clarity and help make your decisions easier.
Tip #2: Analyze your activities
Depending on how active you’ve been in your student life, you might have already embarked on your career path. It’s very easy to transform your extracurricular activities and hobbies into career development opportunities, potential startups, and even full-time jobs.
So evaluate and analyze your activities and rate how well you liked or disliked them. Who knows, you might just figure out your next career goal!
Tip #3: Talk to your acquaintances
If you can’t figure out what you want to do, talking to your acquaintances and friends can help. And if you find someone whose career plans are similar to yours, there’s a high chance that they’d want to have a much more detailed discussion and possibly even collaborate!
Tip #4: Talk to your mentors & professors
Most of us fail to realize that all our professors were also students at some point so they understand what you’re going through. Talking to your professors or those you consider your mentors can really help you figure things out.
Keep an open mind and don’t forget that the older generations lived in a different time with different circumstances and their advice is just advice and not a goal you have to follow. Listen to their suggestions and comments with a critical mind and compare them with your future plans to come up with the right course of action.