Welcome back to our post-grad series, everyone! Today, we’re here to discuss our best practices for ensuring your successful transition out of college and post-grad if you do not yet have a full-time role secured. If you’re struggling to map out the next few months, feeling uneasy about how to prepare yourself for corporate life, or otherwise curious about a lifestyle transition, this blog is for you! Keep reading here to learn everything you need to know to begin thinking through your next steps…

Considering an Internship Post-Grad!

City Exploration: With many companies still offering full-time remote opportunities or pushing for a return to in-office work, an internship in a new location is still a great way (or excuse) to push you to explore a different area of your state or even the entire country! Especially for those of us who don’t yet have a full-time position secured at the moment of graduation, moving away and knowing that there is essentially an “expiration” date for your to reevaluate provides a huge sense of comfort and is the epitome of… why not?! So, we encourage you to take a deep breath even if you have no plan for your career, and shift your mindset into evaluating an internship or short-term opportunities to continue exploring your interests.
Career Exploration: In a similar way to how an internship may encourage you to try out a completely new environment, this job format may also provide you a chance to explore a completely different career path or try something that you may have never previously considered! Why not go for that accounting, marketing, graphic design, fashion, product development, supply chain, real estate, finance, or any other role that taps into a newfound skill set that you haven’t ever been able to develop in the past?! If you’re itching with discomfort about knowing what you ‘want to do’ forever, don’t fret! That is a completely normal feeling that you can easily tackle while becoming even more experienced. Consider taking a few LinkedIn courses with the downtime you have this summer to take a preview into a variety of fields and see which ones leave you feeling inspired.
Push Back and a Chance to … Relax! While internships are still an equally professional commitment to a full-time role, this type of temporary commitment will still allow you to push off your final date before full-time immersion at an organization. We know that graduation may come with a sense of anxiety about the future and your long-term career goals, so instead of diving in headfirst, we completely support taking it “step by step into the water” by trying out an internship first.
Use Your Network: If you’re struggling to find a “standard” internship through online job platforms, school resources, etc., we encourage you to use any and all of your professional connections! This may be friends, family, professors, or any person you’ve met along your professional and academic journey. You can also dig into companies you’re interested in on LinkedIn and by taking advantage of alumni connections – ask for informational interviews, do your background research, and you’re sure to develop meaningful professional connections to sustain throughout your career while exploring. You never know what or who might help you get your foot in the door somewhere new, so approach every conversation with professional etiquette, motivation, and a desire to learn!

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