I’m a College Senior Who’s Still Figuring out What I Want to Do after Graduation—and I’m Okay with That

Hi, I’m Megan! As a college senior going into my last semester of college at Syracuse University, I’ve spent far too many hours over the past few months trying to figure out what I want to do after graduation.

The conclusion? I still don’t know! In fact, not only am I unsure of the industry I want to be in, but I’m also not sure of what kind of role I want or even what type of company I want to work for.

If you’re facing this dilemma, too, don’t worry. It’s alright. The only thing we can do is begin learning what we like, and what we don’t like (as well as what we’re good at, and what we’re bad at!). If you’re like me and still figuring it out, I recommend trying these steps to help narrow your choices down, and gain a better understanding of what your professional preferences might be!

1. Take a career exploration class.

A little career research now could save you lots of time in the future!

Many schools actually offer career exploration classes. These are courses in which you take a variety of personality and aptitude tests to determine your strengths and weaknesses to use as a jumping off point for further career research. Jenna, a Digital Marketing Associate at WayUp, said that taking a career exploration class was instrumental in helping her find out that she was interested in marketing. She learned that because she is both analytical and creative, digital marketing would be an ideal industry to explore!

2. Attend as many panel events as you can.

Channel your inner Leslie Knope and make the most of your time by attending panels.

If your school doesn’t offer a career exploration course, try seeking out on-campus career panels for the different fields you are interested in. Most departments will host panels with professionals in a variety of different roles, so it’s an easy way to get information about careers you might not have even known existed! I’ve gone to several career panels for public relations, advertising and even entrepreneurship, and always come away with ideas for roles to look into, as well as some new professional contacts to build my network!

3. Job shadow someone working in the field you are interested in.

Make sure to ask lots of questions at your job shadow!

Once you’ve identified a role or company that sparks your interest, see if you can set up a job shadow with someone who has this job. They could be a family friend, someone your professor introduced you to, or an alumnus from your school. Alumni are often eager to help, and are a great resource to leverage throughout your time in school. So far I’ve shadowed employees in PR, product design, and content creation!

Use your time at the job shadow to learn what that individual does, and ask specific questions to see if their position might also be a fit for you. In addition, be sure to speak with other people at the office. You never know, you might shadow one person, but be really intrigued by a role on a different team altogether!

4. Intern!

It might take a few internships before you find the right fit for you!

A good internship is the best way to learn about a certain position or company. I’ve found it helpful to keep notes about the different tasks I’ve done throughout the day at my internship so that when it’s over, I can quickly look through and determine what aspects I liked and which I didn’t. This can be a great jumping off point to determine if you’d like to do something similar in the future or try something different!

It’s more than okay to be overwhelmed by the job search as you’re approaching graduation. However, taking the initiative to reach out to a new contact or attend a particular panel are just some of the ways you’ll figure out what you want to do in your career.

Over the past three and a half years I’ve slowly been getting closer to figuring it out. Going into my last semester, I’m going to continue keeping an ear out for possible jobs I’d like after graduation, attend a few career fairs and reach out to some of my networking contacts as graduation draws nearer. I’m confident that this semester I’ll be able to build on my past experiences and find the right job fit for me!

You got this!