When I was in Florida, I had a long conversation with a student about her career aspirations and the multitude of choices she saw before her. While I hope she walked away feeling a little more energized about graduating and exploring her new life, I know she’s not the only Junior or Senior out there feeling the same frustration and anxiety about graduating.
I returned to my hotel that evening, ready to write a Monday Motivation post providing links to blogs that talk about life after college. My hope was to provide enough links to show those facing graduation that they’re not alone. There are so many people, from those ready to graduate to those ready to retire, who have no idea what they want to do with their life. And then, like the woman I talked with in Florida, there are some who have an idea but they have yet to clearly identify the path that will lead them to their career aspiration.
I was Googling phrases like, “life after college” and, “after I graduate” when I found this gem of an article from the NPR archives. Then I found another referencing the same book. And then finally in his own words, the author of What Should I Do With My Life has a six-page feature in Fast Company. This morning, I read that Po Bronson has released a sequel, What Should I Do With My Life, Now?
“Your calling isn’t something you inherently ‘know,’ some kind of destiny. Far from it. Almost all of the people I interviewed found their calling after great difficulty. They had made mistakes before getting it right.” -Po Bronson
Graduate school is full of people looking to fulfill their calling, whether they’re changing careers or enhancing the knowledge they already have in a certain field. But, it will not help you find your calling unless you can decide whether, “your choice is something that will stimulate you for a year or something that you can be passionate about for 10 years?”
Bronson’s first book is a journal about the experiences of 900 people realizing their dreams and making them happen. I haven’t read the book yet, but the two articles mentioned above are enough to make me consider purchasing a copy. Hopefully, they will spark hope and inspiration with those getting ready to graduate and those who are still trying to figure out what it is they want to be when they grow up.
(Photo Credit: brunkfordbraun)
Related posts:
What questions do you ask at a grad school fair?
How to waste time productively
Monday motivation: choosing a grad school
