Embracing Unconventional Career Paths - What Recent College Grads Fear Most

“What am I going to do after college?” is a question many college and postgraduate students ask themselves from the moment they step into the classroom, start taking career-oriented courses, and even after graduation. For many, this question is one that sparks worry and fear for the future. After all, isn't college the place where we are supposed to figure that out?

When taking a look at our economy it is not so surprising why we have so many college students struggling to find their career job. According to a Forbes article, employers are requiring unrealistic professional experience for entry-level positions. Additionally, 52% of recent four-year college graduates are unemployed a year after they graduate and after a decade, 45% still don’t hold a job that requires a four-year degree. But why do these educated students find it so difficult to land a job within their studied degree? We seek and want a conventional straight-lined career path.

Too often we think that life is a clear line of events and we think no differently when it comes to finding our career. Unfortunately, this is unrealistic. While it would be great to be preassigned a specific life to follow, being unconventional is what makes our lives interesting and our experiences unique. So in the attempt to accept our unconventional career paths, let us remember to CLIMB to the top.

Connect with others

Take time to truly connect with others on a deeper level than through your LinkedIn account. Another word for this would be networking. A true networking connection is one that takes time, patience, and growth. You meet in person, connect on a social media platform, continue to follow up with them, interact with posts, and stay connected. After all, they may be your connection to a new job or opportunity, so set the standard for yourself to maintain a good pool of future connections.

Live the life you want

You are in charge of your life so live the way you want to. When searching for jobs or your career path, find titles that interest you, seek companies that align with your core values, and take opportunities to expand your experiences. While in college, take advantage of organizations that connect you to industry professionals like DECA, BPA, research organizations, and the NMGZ Community. You have the power to create your own path, so take a chance by pursuing something new.

Initiate conversation

Everything starts with a conversation. Therefore, get your name out there, polish up your LinkedIn profile, make your own business cards, and hand them out to future employers. More importantly, take the time to initiate conversations with others who may not think the same as you do. Expand your viewpoints by creating conversations with people of different perspectives.

Manage your time

You will be feeling a lot of stress to get everything done in a short period of time. Identify your biggest goals and start managing your time. Enjoy the process of job hunting, identifying what goals you want to achieve in a five-to -ten-year timeline. While you may set specific goals, remember that this timeline isn’t set in stone; therefore, lay out everything you want to accomplish and start organizing them by level of importance.

Be unconventional

No one has a clear path to follow so take a couple of wrong turns and discover your passions and goals. Recently, I had the opportunity to attend the NMGZ Community field trip to Seattle where we had the opportunity to meet with professionals at Starbucks, Seattle magazine, Joysauce, Westfield Mall, Geekwire, WE Communications, and Microsoft. The biggest takeaway for me was that all of these industry professionals had no idea that they would end up where they are now. From mall security to General Manager, local government and politics to the head of PR and branding, and a simple passion for Asian-American representation to starting a company, I heard it all. It was clear to me that many people have unconventional career paths.

Whether you are a new college graduate, current student, or industry professional, your career is just getting started. Embrace your unconventional career path as it adds to your unique journey. Take advantage of the opportunities available, apply for your dream job, take a class on a topic that interests you, and just be unconventional.