Just coming off of Thanksgiving Break, I can't help being confronted with the fact that I only have two more weeks of school, finals, and then I am a second semester Junior. It seems like just yesterday I was picking my sophomore classes . . . feeling like I had so much school left. But that is not the case. I am at a critical point where my Winter Break will be filled with "planning" decisions. Going over two main questions—do I look for a job straight out of graduation or do I consider going to graduate school?
For the first year and a half of college I assumed I would go straight into a job after my graduation in May 2010. I had big plans of going into advertising, working for ad campaigns. But that was before the realization that the economy might not be able to sustain me and my dream job right off the bat. I may be passed up for someone else. Dreadful yes. The thought of not even being a part of my assumed career field is and was extremely disheartening. But I had to realize jobs and careers are not what they were for our parents or grandparents. Most people switch around jobs after a year, most of the time getting their feet wet in a job field completely unrelated to what they may have wanted or got a degree for.
So what is the counterbalance to this uneasiness? Adding another choice into the equation of course. At the end of my sophomore year I started thinking about pursuing a master's degree straight out of school instead of job hunting. Recently I have heard buzz that graduate school is becoming more and more of a prerequisite for established companies. They want knowledge, proof of dedication, and satisfaction that they are hiring well-educated, well-studied, and cooperative pupils.
With all of my friends around me thinking out loud about medical school, veterinarian school, and business school, I realized that we are all being given the opportunity to take our knowledge to the next level. Studying for another two years will most likely pay off down the road.
My advice: Keep your mind open. If you are a junior like me, take your winter break to think about your options. If you are a senior, I'm assuming you may have already made your decision, but if not, search for that job. Or see if grad school could benefit you.
I'm ready to explore my options.
