What to do after Graduation
A new phase in life can often bring along a mixed bag of emotions. Have you just completed graduation or are about to complete graduation then you may be looking forward to a work environment or wondering perhaps how you will cope with performance pressures. Some of you probably might miss the carefree college life or perhaps be considering the possibility of courses after graduation, while there may be some of you who must be too bored to go through even one more college lecture! Well, each one to his/her own.
If you are very confused and need experts to help you, you can get in touch with us right now ( Call us at 8377 092 224 / 8130 230 243 to book an appointment with our expert career counsellor Mr. Avtar Singh) Else read on to get an experts perspective on resolving this confusion.
What should I do after graduation?
Few of your friends might be enrolling for higher studies, some might be planning on taking a “break”, some will join family businesses and more still would have already begun job hunting.
But how do I know what is right career path for me?
The answer lies in your inherent strengths and your situation in life at that point of time. Let us look at some of the most commonly faced dilemmas.
Dilemma 1: I want to work but my degree may not be enough.
The first step is to understand what your graduation degree can do to enhance your career and how far. It may so be that the degree may fetch you a good job but a few years down the line, it may not be enough. At such times, you may want to consider doing certificate courses, professional post-graduate diplomas and the likes to boost career prospects.
But there are countless such courses guaranteeing jobs. Which ones do I go for?
Having come so far in your academic life, you are bound to have some idea of your aptitudes and inclinations. The key is to choose such courses that complement your strengths or else there is no point in taking a course that has nothing to do with your interest and/or aptitude but promises a job. So for instance, if you are a B. Com graduate, it is logical to do a course in software like Tally to help enhance your prospects.
Dilemma 2: I want to study ahead but will have to work to supplement family income.
This situation too should be viewed positively. It may actually turn out that after having spent time working, you may want to do something completely different at the post-graduation level than you had initially thought.
While it is important in this scenario to find a job, one must try and strike a balance between finding a job that pays along with matching one’s aptitude and interests. Choosing a career that is completely out of league with the sole intent of earning money will result in disillusionment and you are likely to drop out early due to lack of interest.
Dilemma 3: I am not sure I want to continue in the field I have chosen
A large number of us fall in this category – having chosen a course/career path due to peer pressure, family compulsions or plain lack of awareness. The first thing that you must do in this case is evaluate your strengths. You can take help from the experts here – career counselors. Counselors, with the help of scientifically designed aptitude tests and personality tests, will be able to help you figure out what you are good at. After this, you may want to spend some time exploring work with organisations in your area of interest or directly go for a post-graduation in that area.
Dilemma 4: I want to work but also study
Who said you will have to choose? In fact, it may well turn out to be a boon. The work environment will help you give clarity on what you see yourself doing a few years down the line and help you choose your further academic options wisely. Even as you work, you can start preparing for entrance exams to universities/courses that you want to take up ahead. Also in this information age there are many courses that can be taken on part time basis and even online courses can help you enhance your skills. Know more
Dilemma 5: Should I take up MBA now? Should I even be taking up MBA?
You most definitely should, if you want to. But MBA is not everyone’s cup of tea and you should not think of it as a mandatory requirement for success in life. If you are sure of it, you can immediately enroll after graduation.
It may, however, be wiser to begin working and simultaneously preparing for entrance exams to MBA colleges. Along with helping you save money for the course, it will also help you bring your experience to the table and contribute to enriching the MBA you will be pursuing.
If you want to do an MBA but the costs seem prohibitive, you can consider doing an Executive MBA a few years into your career. A number of companies even sponsor these programs and it will also help leverage your position in the job market.
Whatever you choose to do, remember that the key is to play to your strengths (read: aptitude and interests) and success is only a matter of time.
To resolve all career confusion and to get help and support form a counsellor you can get in touch with us.
