What did you do after you graduated from college?

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   rlahaposted 13 years ago

   Did you find a job right away or did you take some time off to think what you wanted to do? Did you go straight into grad school? I'm just curious because I'm graduating on Thursday.  My ideal goal is to work but finding a job is tough right now. So I am weighing my options and think I should just go back to school this Fall.  What do you think?

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      smzclarkposted 13 years agoin reply to this

      how good are your qualifications? i wouldn't bother going back to school unless there's something more you need to learn to get on the ladder you want to be on. i didn't find a job right away, because i fell pregnant by default (no regrets like). i'm qualified enough to get jobs in many different areas, but only because i didn't know what i wanted to do (now i'm happy and settled in a decent job, but it did take some time). if you know what you want to do, keep your focus and get started. if you have any money left after all the study, it wouldn't be a horrible idea to take yourself on a vacation before all the hard work begins.

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      1. 59

         rlahaposted 13 years agoin reply to this

         I want to teach Nutrition Education in schools and in the community.  I have a medical degree and will have a second undergrad degree in Nutrition Science (on Thursday).  I would probably at least need a masters to be able to teach, right?

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            Marcy Goodfleischposted 13 years agoin reply to this

            You'll need a masters to teach at the CC level, with at least 18 hours in the field in which you teach. Faculty positions at community colleges are hard to come by. You can often work as an adjunct (that way they don't have to pay benefits), but you still need the credentials if they're accredited.
            
            I'd suggest getting some sort of work if you can while you're in grad school. It will make you much more competitive when you get the masters & look for a related position.
            
            Meanwhile, to get some teaching experience, consider volunteering (you can sometimes get a nominal fee) to teach extended education or community school courses for non-credit. This will show the CC later on that you develop a syllabus and deliver course content. You could also volunteer to teach Lifetime Learning courses to seniors (many communities have programs like that).  Congrats on your degree, and good luck!

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   2. 69

      AshtonFireflyposted 13 years agoin reply to this

      I went on internship to Disneyworld...then I came back home to recover.

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         rlahaposted 13 years agoin reply to this

         Sounds like it was hectic. I would have thought it would have been a fun experience.

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            AshtonFireflyposted 13 years agoin reply to this

            It was fun...going to the parks as a guest. As an employee, it was...well...not so fun.

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               rlahaposted 13 years agoin reply to this

               Yeah, having to deal with irate customers LOL

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                  AshtonFireflyposted 13 years agoin reply to this

                  The guests weren't so bad. It was the managers who were the problem. We were just a number. Not real people. And since I was part of the college program, I was also stereotyped and disliked.

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                  1. 59

                     rlahaposted 13 years agoin reply to this

                     Ah, sorry to hear that.

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      Dave Mathewsposted 13 years agoin reply to this

      After graduating University, I began hunting for a job.

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      1. 59

         rlahaposted 13 years agoin reply to this

         

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      manlypoetrymanposted 13 years agoin reply to this

      I joined the big rat race...in the big city!

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      1. 59

         rlahaposted 13 years agoin reply to this

         

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      emilycookposted 13 years agoin reply to this

      I think a lot of people are now opting to go straight to grad school, because the economy is in a slump, jobs are hard to come by, and the more qualified you are, the greater your chances for employment. So rather than trying to gain employment in a time when jobs are scarce and they only have a Bachelor’s degrees, a lot of in my city are applying to the Master’s degree programs California colleges offer. This way, they can get into the job market when the economy has recovered and they are more hire-able.

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      1. 59

         rlahaposted 13 years agoin reply to this

         That is what I have opted to do.  The only problem is finding a good school for the program I am interested in.  Thanks!

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   LeanManposted 13 years ago

   I did a degree in microbiology then went to work for an engineering company!!!!
   
   Couldn't find a job in my field, the engineering company was owned by a neighbor and my summer job became my full time career and I never once looked back.. Now degree qualified in my new profession which was done as I worked........
   
   
   BUT... work for yourself if you can!!

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   1. 59

      rlahaposted 13 years agoin reply to this

      Wow that is interesting! Thank you for the advice!

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   psycheskinnerposted 13 years ago

   The trick is not to graduate and then think "what will I do now?".  Have a plan for what to do next *before* graduating.  One of the things you are there to do is network, get offers, solicit references etc.  Even doing a graduate degree without having carefully chosen your supervisor (or vice versa) is a recipe for disaster.

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   1. 59

      rlahaposted 13 years agoin reply to this

      Thanks for this advice!

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4. 60

   calpol25posted 13 years ago

   When I graduated from college, I sat down had a ciggarette possibly a nervous breakdown after all those immense hours of study and then put the tele on and chilled for a few hours.
   
   You have to have a plan of action, there is a saying here "failing to plan is planning to fail."
   
   Seriously though, afterwards I had to have a think where I was going and what I wanted to do with my life, I ended up going into retail and never looked back at the same time I found hubpages and started to write.
   
   And the rest as they say is history x

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      rlahaposted 13 years agoin reply to this

      Glad you got to breathe before working in retail.  Thanks!

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         calpol25posted 13 years agoin reply to this

         So was I, as you dont get time to breathe when you do work in retail. x
         
         Your Welcome

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            rlahaposted 13 years agoin reply to this

            

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5. 58

   Alma Cabaseposted 13 years ago

   I immediately went on a job hunt..^^

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6. 75

   Mighty Momposted 13 years ago

   It was many moons ago and times (and the economy) and expectations were quite different then.
   I went directly to work.
   At an ad agency on Newbury Street in Boston.
   Thanks for bringing back some crazy memories!
   
   But I do agree with those who say these days it's smart to just keep going to school if you can. Until there are more jobs out there!
   GOOD LUCK TO YOU!

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   1. 59

      rlahaposted 13 years agoin reply to this

      Thank you!

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7. 83

   Marcy Goodfleischposted 13 years ago

   I worked the entire time I was in college, because I was divorced with two kids to raise. My entire career has involved writing, first with a column for a major newspaper and later in PR-type positions where writing was crucial.  Then I ended up managing various divisions or units and doing legislative liaison work. All of it stemmed from starting out as a writer. I was asked to do some consulting about 14 years ago, and have been doing it ever since.
   
   Writing is one of the most important skills you can learn. All managers need that skill, anyone looking for work needs to write well, and even careers not focused on writing need good communicators. 
   
   Mighty Mom is right - stay in school and stick with it. We get so many applications for every opening now (I averaged more than 300 candidates for the last several positions I posted).  A degree is more important than ever. Why would a manager bring in a candidate with no degree when there are 75 others with the right academic credentials.
   
   You can indeed succeed as a writer without a degree. But pay attention to GOOD writers and catch your own editing mistakes. Many Internet posts (including on this site) get published with glaring errors. Since bad writing is so commonly found on Facebook, Twitter, MySpace and other social sites, it's easy for people to assume something is written the 'right' way, but it's not.
   
   Bottom line - get educated. If possible, get a degree.

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   1. 59

      rlahaposted 13 years agoin reply to this

      Thank you that is my plan. I want to see if I can get back into school this fall so that I can get a masters degree at least.

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8. 68

   Pearldiverposted 13 years ago

   What did you do after you graduated from college?
   
   - I went Surfing.. on waves.. not the net!
   
   Believe me.. you can work quite hard on 14 foot waves!

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   1. 59

      rlahaposted 13 years agoin reply to this

      Hey that's great! I am glad you got the opportunity to do what you obviously love!

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   psycheskinnerposted 13 years ago

   I got a job as soon as I could.  If I couldn't get a job I was in training or a full time volunteer.  I don't know who can afford to just take time off, but not me. I can think about stuff after work.

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    bruzzbuzzposted 13 years ago

    I went to work almost immediately but that was another time. It was in the late 70's. I have been working ever since. If I had to do it again, I think I would have taken a year off and traveled. I want to travel now that I am near retirement. Good luck to you. It always works out in the end when we accept what happens in our lives and make lemonade out whatever comes our way.

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    1. 59

       rlahaposted 13 years agoin reply to this

       I think a year off would have been nice for you since you have been working so much ever since you graduated.  Thank you!

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11. 61

    Hui (蕙)posted 13 years ago

    I am planning on a science fiction book about evolution and creation. By the way, I believe in evolution!

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    SoManyPathsposted 13 years ago

    I got a job right outta college from a low-paying company. I then went to a better one but not before I went on a trip to Europe.  That's when they had the German mark, French franc. Yeah, I am in my early 40s. LOL

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13. 79

    phillippeengelposted 13 years ago

    The indomitable way to survive is to get a job, and yes, right after graduating from college. If not, where does money come from?

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