What should college graduates do

Search Menu. What can students do to improve their chances of finding employment after college? Printer-friendly version.

Date Updated :. The following is a list of steps that students can consider: Clarify your academic and career interests; learn about opportunities in challenging fields, such as business, engineering, mathematics, and technology. Recent college graduates have many choices. Some graduates are ready to begin their careers while others want to volunteer for their communities. Graduates often move away from their college, sometimes back home, to new places or even to international destinations.

Carefully consider your options and interests and choose a post-college path that benefits both your career and your passions. Now, as a recent college graduate, you have more options and freedom to choose what you want to do next in life, probably more now than ever. It may be time to volunteer or intern in your industry, start trying out different careers or maybe just take a break from a full-time schedule and travel to a country you always wanted to visit.

Consider this list of things to do after college graduation to help you find what might be your best next steps:. Moving home for a while is a great way to look for jobs and explore the many options available to you in a comfortable, cost-effective way.

Use the time at home to network with local businesses in your field, connect with other college alumni and update your resume. Sometimes, the job you want after college requires more education. Many community colleges offer individual classes to help you prepare for the workforce.

Additionally, trade schools can help you gain hands-on skills and qualifications for vocational jobs. Many colleges and universities hire recent college graduates to assist with research. While many people associate research with the sciences, like chemistry and psychology, many college academic departments perform research.

Contact your college or previous professors to see if there are research opportunities available for recent graduates. A gap year is a time of exploration and travel after high school or college graduation. Often, graduates who take gap years use that time to experience a new culture and build their soft skills like communication and problem-solving.

A gap year can be a great way to gain new experiences and meet new people who may be able to help you find your ideal job once you're ready. Internships are a great way for recent graduates to gain entry into competitive industries or companies. While internships can pay less than full-time positions, they often result in resume experience, recommendation letters and even full-time positions.

Public university leaders have spent years creating and testing solutions to help students succeed in college, complete their degrees, and be well-prepared for the workforce. These efforts have achieved significant success at individual institutions, but have not been fully brought to scale across the public higher education sector. The initiative, called Powered by Publics: Scaling Student Success , represents the largest-ever collaborative effort to improve college access, advance equity, and increase college degrees awarded.

You can also find day-to-day opportunities within your hometown, or reach out to a non-profit organization and ask whether they could use your assistance. Your volunteer experiences can be included on your resume. Worried about money? Consider a side gig to boost your income. A large number of Americans land jobs abroad each year, and English is one of the most spoken languages in the world.

Many people around the world are eager to learn English, whether it's through group classes or even private lessons.

Popular options include programs through international embassies, such as the JET Program with Japan, as well as jobs at international schools and through service organizations. There are also programs where you can teach English online. If you want a range of colorful, varied positions to add to your resume, pursuing a few seasonal jobs for a year is a fun way to get diverse work experience while also enjoying yourself.

There are many types of seasonal jobs, such as positions at ski resorts, beaches, resorts, and cruise ships. If you plan wisely, you can find employment for a full year in this way. Do you love to travel, but still want to use your time to make a difference? Consider an international volunteer position, through an organization like the Peace Corps, Global Vision International , or the Red Cross.

If you want to travel while still earning a paycheck, another option is to pursue a "working holiday" visa. Certain countries, including Australia and New Zealand, offer "working holiday" visas in which U. The best time to travel is after college, when you are free of obligations to a job. If you have the opportunity to travel, you should do so when you can, as it broadens your perspective and is an important life experience. If you decide to travel, make the most of it, and take photos or blog about it.

You can then share whatever you come up with as an example of your multimedia, writing, or web design skills. Keep in mind that traveling can be expensive, but there are ways you can keep costs down, like staying in hostels rather than hotels. If you decide to continue living close to your college, consider pursuing a job there, whether it is in administration or education.

There are many jobs to be had on college campuses. For example, you could work in the department that you majored in, or you could work as a teaching assistant if there are positions relevant to your degree. These types of jobs can also lead to further opportunities, like the funding of graduate courses or even a degree, as many universities will allow their employees to take classes for free.

For a small fee, participants are provided with an extensive database of opportunities in the country of their choice. Although the duration of the experience depends on where and when you work, as the details of the agreement are between the farmer and the volunteer, most situations tend to be a few months long.

Many include room and board. Bureau of Labor Statistics. Hanover College Levett Career Center.