Jessica, Chere and Carissa all asked me the same question: what do I want to do once I graduate (next spring!)?
This is something I have thought A LOT about lately. Just to remind any new readers, I’m currently in school getting a bachelor’s degree in Journalism with a major in Public Relations. This summer I have been working at a strategic marketing and communications agency as a PR intern. I’ve loved my time here, and I’m actually staying on part-time when I return to school in the fall, but is it what I want to do for the rest of my life; yes and no.
I think, initially, I want to continue working contract work at an agency similar to the one that I’m at now. I also want to continue doing freelance on the side to establish contacts and build my client base with that. I enjoy doing contract work because it allows you to have flexible hours - something I love! I’m not the 9-5 type of girl. However, that being said, I would also be happy to land a job at a newspaper. All in all, I just want to keep writing and establishing my career as a writer.
There are so many different turns that my career could take next spring and I would be happy with any one of them; I would love to continue working in PR/Marketing, I would love to own my own PR agency one day, I would love to do PR for a non-profit or a running organization, I would love to be on-staff at a magazine or newspaper, I would love to be a full-time freelance writer.
So, when I graduate next spring, I basically want to continue on the same path that I’m on now. I’m very, VERY happy with where my career is going right now, and I want to continue building it. Eventually I want to be able to work full-time from home (working from home is the best!). I would love to get enough work that I could become a full-time freelance writer one day. Writing is my true passion.
Then again, this post completely focussed on what I want to do career-wise after graduation. A few other things I plan on doing; travelling (a Europe trip is in the works for May 2010), move into a place with a yard, get a dog, enter MORE races since I’ll have the money for entry fees, spend lots of time with family, eventually move closer to home, attend some blogger meet-ups!
I know a lot of you are graduating post-secondary soon, what are your plans once you graduate? For those of you that have graduated (post secondary and/or high school), what WERE your plans and did they pan out the way you wanted them to?
{ 16 comments… read them below or add one }
You’re Really on top of things over there – you’re getting some Great experience that’ll help you so much next Spring when you’re job searching. Opportunities will be lining up for you
I’ve only had one semester of college, but I’m planning (and hoping) on going back soon. Journalism was always my dream job, but I’m not sure it would be a good career for me. I’d love to do counseling, honestly. I want to be a grief counselor for children and teens. Right now, that’s what I’m planning on doing when I go back to school. Either that or business.
You are so well poised to really launch your career when you graduate! So great that you have this internship & have been doing freelance. I really had no practical experience when I graduated from college – if I could do it over, I would have somehow fit an internship in!!
When I graduated, I thought I’d end up working as an actuary or in finance. I’m in finance, so I did end up where I thought I would, but I didn’t take a direct path to finance. I worked in a law office for awhile, then I worked in operations for my company, and now I’ve been doing finance for a little over 2 years. So the first 4 years when I was out of college were spent trying to get to where I wanted to be. I’m still not in a career that is a perfect fit, but I am getting closer!
How exciting that you are going to Europe next May!! Such a fabulous decision!!
Great post. Thanks for answering my question. It sounds like you have things figured out! I’m also graduating in the spring, I have no idea exactly what I want to do, except I know I want to write and do some kind of PR. I would love to do PR for an author, promoting their latest book and that kind of thing. Or at a hospital, specifically a children’s hospital. We will see!
I graduated with a Politics degree and hit the ground running in entertainment and didn’t look back until…a month ago? lol Now I’m going back to school in September and am looking forward to every minute.
Well, I got my degree so I could teach, but the economy had other ideas. Since I’ve graduated I’ve substitute taught, babysat, worked as a before and after school site director, taught a temporary math assignment and sat on my ass without a job. I envisioned my life teaching. Either preschool, elementary or junior high. I went through many majors in college and I kinda wish I would have stuck with my first one; law. I may still end up in law school, it depends on how life goes. I also envisioned myself in a big city living the city life. Here I am 25, married living in the country, 10 minutes from the house I lived in from ages 3 to 18.
Hooray for attending blogger meet-ups =) I can’t wait until I can meet you!!
Well, grad school is coming to an end for me in the next 9 months or so (I hope!) and I don’t plan on doing a whole lot differently. I decided to start in on my masters because if I take over the family business, I want to have the theory & business classes under my belt, in addition to the real-world training I’ve had the last four years! It is possible that I’ll look for a new job in consulting/marketing/ or something simliar but I’m not really sure. It’s funny but at age 25 I still don’t have a handle on what I want to do when I grow up =)
I’ll be doing my degree/CGA work on the side while I work full time after graduating in the spring. Once I am done that and am more established in a career/living arrangement, I want to go back and finish my Nutrition degree. Eventually I would like to own my own business – but there is serious money to be made first.
When I was in high school I thought I would be a music teacher. I went so far as to do the audition for university before I changed my mind. Funny how things change.
So, funny coincidence. I was planning (like Vanessa before me) to be a music teacher, but dropped it right before starting college. I even got so far as to pick up all the materials to audition for all the ensembles at my school during Orientation. Ha! Didn’t happen and I haven’t EVER regretted it!
I changed my major to Political Science and that’s what my degree is in. Up until the summer before my senior year I was planning to work for a Presidential campaign after graduation and then see what happened. Then I decided to go to law school, and here I am. 1 year down, 2 to go.
I’m interested in practicing political law – election law, campaign finance, ethics…or working on the legislative side of things.
I have no idea where I’ll be or what I’ll be doing next summer, let alone after I graduate and take (and hopefully PASS) the Bar Exam. It’s a little scary, but I’m happy!
Thanks for answering my question!
I guess I’m a new reader because I’m just now learning what you are studying. I, too, have a bachelor’s degree in journalism with a concentration in public relations! I absolutely loved this program at my university. Sadly, I came out of college and tried to be a newspaper reporter… I quickly learned that getting paid $10 per hour while working 60 hour weeks in a teeny tiny town was not how I wanted to spend my 20s. Since then I’ve worked in advertising, marketing, and development. I’m currently an executive assistant and since I felt a little lost I recently went back to school to get my paralegal certification. I’m taking the LSAT in September. So even though I’m not working as a journalist, the degree has opened up LOADS of doors for me… good luck!
i started out in advertising photography (practically 10 years ago). then switched over to visual media which combines photography with graphic design. After i left — i had a serious case of senioritis! i interned for redbook but nothing came of it. got a job with a non profit publications company — great experience. now work for a corporation doing design work. But i don’t like it anymore… i don’t like designing, i like working in the field, but designing things myself, i’m not that creative. i’m much too logical for that kind of thing. So I’m not sure what i want to do now.
I really had no plans until a few months into my Sr. year, and even then I only decided to go to grad school because I couldn’t figure out what else to do.
It sounds like you have things figured out! You’ve got tons of options and I’m sure you’ll excel at whatever you choose to do.
Also, letting you know that I gave you the Lovely Blog Award. Check it out on my blog when you have the time.
Hi! I love your blog. I started reading it a few weeks ago because I saw the link on Through Green Eyes. I’ve started my own blog about similar issues and it would be great if you would take a look: http://catchthelizzor.blogspot.com/.
I’ve been thinking a lot about this question that you’re asking here. I’m halfway through college and at the moment I’m planning to go to law school afterward. I’m working at a law firm part-time right now and it’s really made me reconsider the plan which I hate doing because I like to know where my life is going. I like having a plan and sticking to it so I’ve been a bit of a mess lately trying to figure out what I might want to do instead. It sounds like you’re doing really well though and you should be really proud!
I ended up in Australia and I definitely didn’t plan on that! Once you start traveling there is no turning back… my exploration appetite is insatiable! One day I will get into PR to match my degree, but what’s the rush? (Now THAT’S a new attitude for me…)
Good luck with your final year – and props for knowing what you want to do! That’s sometimes the hardest part!
I did my undergrad in visual multimedia. After realizing that was more of an interest than a passion, I ended up in a couple restuarant/hotel jobs, a travel company, and eventually landed in higher ed administration, which I enjoy greatly. Next step is hopefully an advanced degree, but I’m still waiting to hear about that.