Deciding on My Next Steps

Now that the excitement of graduation has calmed down, it’s time to decide what my next steps are. I have a lot of differing ideas going on in my head, and organising them into pros and cons is proving somewhat difficult. My current day-to-day activities consist of blogging, learning to drive, looking after my mum, and working in a local cafe. Not quite the life you would expect from a recent graduate, but I currently have goals and requirements that are separate from my future, lifelong career goals. However, whilst I’m doing all these little things, I am still thinking about the big picture and trying to figure out what kind of industry I want to explore…

Option 1: Travelling

My first ‘maybe’ on the list for future plans is travelling. I am a very adventurous person and adore seeing new places. Travelling would be an absolute dream for me and something I want to do throughout my life. However, travelling seems popular with recent graduates; a way to have a break from work and study, and explore the world whilst you’re young enough to do so. Although, there are two major ‘hmm maybe not’ points to me going travelling. Number one is that I have no funds for it, so would have to work for at least a year anyway. Number two is that I have no one to travel with, and venturing into the world on my own is a little too daunting for me right now.

Option 2: Internship/Work Experience

Since I’m so unsure about what industry I want to go into, I feel like gaining some experience would really benefit me. It would ideally allow me to get an insight into what kind of jobs are out there and what it would be like to work in different environments. I know I’d like to work in the business/finance/economics sector, but I have no idea what part of those industries I’d like to work in, e.g. consultancy, accounting, marketing etc. I’ve applied for a few graduate schemes and internships over the past month, but haven’t had any luck yet, so I guess this option is deciding its own fate for now.

Option 3: Teaching and Further Study

Primary school teaching is something I’ve been interested in for my whole life and something I truly think I’d be good at. However, it would require a lot more studying and financial investments, which I’m not sure if I can commit to right now. Furthermore, the main thing that has always turned me away from primary school teaching is the limit of promotion. Once you’re a teacher you’ve basically reached your career goal and I think the lack of opportunities for promotion and pay increases would stifle my motivation. But that view is then contradicted by my love for and my abilities to teach, especially young children.

Basically, I have a lot of choices to weigh up and decide upon, and I think it’s going to take quite a while before I’ve settled on a final career choice. But I think it’s also important for me to remember that I am in the generation that will probably have 10-15 careers in their lifetime. The days of staying in the same company or profession for your whole life are becoming a thing of the past. I’m 21 years old and have the rest of my life to work and earn a living, so I’m going to allow myself to experiment and try a few things out. Who knows, maybe I’ll be the first economic, primary school teacher in Bali, but for now, I’ll take your coffee order and get your panini in the toaster x