Would you like chips with that? A graduate's options

At a very tender age, you were already introduced into the education system through nursery, where you had shouting fights and used your hands as paintbrushes with your fellow toddler buddies. After those one or two crazy years, you found yourself in primary school; a tad more civilised, but not too much. Then there was secondary school, where the hormones took over. And then college, A-levels, Baccalaureate… (depending on where you are) once you and most of your comrades had regained complete control. The last step was going to university, which you were lucky enough to afford, or receive a grant or get a mortgage for. And, thus, you are prepared to earn the right for passage out of the education system and into the wonderful, bright, glowing world. I mean, it can’t be worst than all what we just did, right?

Being so close to leaving university leads you to think about the tomorrow. A lot. About what there is out there, what path to follow, whether to think about making an excellent professional career, or following a more bohemian path, enjoying the scent of flowers in spring, the warmth of summer, the snowy landscapes of winter or the sound of dry leaves crush under your bare feet in autumn. Okay, maybe not so bohemian, but you get the point. It is really a case of knowing your options and the pros and cons of each one. So let’s start here, at the beginning, taking a look at what we could possibly do after university:

1. University. WHAT!? Sorry, I meant to write “Master’s degree”. In some places, a Master’s degree is almost a prerequisite for entering the job market. This is the case of Spain, where it almost seems the only option after graduating, as there are no employment opportunities, anyway. Master’s degrees don’t only help with postponing the exit of the academic world, but also seem to be a good long-term investment, as studies show the salary of someone holding a postgraduate degree to be greater than their counterparts’, in the long run. Another reason to follow a Master’s degree is simply wanting to continue in academia, as research and teaching seem a career path that interests you.

2. Start your own business. Be an entrepreneur and start up that amazing business idea you have always had in mind. This is a special option for special people with a special flame inside them that pushes them to create and build their own dreams. Of course, it requires more than just motivation; it also most likely requires networking skills, leadership skills, creativity, a visionary mind, and family, friends and fools to lend you the money to start. There are plenty of online lists of tips on how to be entrepreneurial (no idea if they work), so you can check online if this is your path.

3. Take a sabbatical year. Depending on where you are, a sabbatical year can be understood either as a joke (that is, a year of slacking and partying) or as a brilliant opportunity to grow as a person, travelling around the world, reading, working to barely make it through the week, living great experiences. These might just be two opposites, and the latter, an option too radical to follow, but it can be a chance to learn and develop as a human being, to enjoy the little things of life and be a bit more bohemian. This time can be taken to make a few bucks, get ideas for your own business or learn a language, how to sew, photography, fashion design… Whatever the passion you always had but couldn’t work on because you were at university, that is what a sabbatical year is for; it is anything but a joke.

4. Get a job. This may be the most intuitive option after university, as we may have chosen to study such degree precisely to work in such position. There are plenty of reasons to take this path, as it seems to be the focus education has: preparing people to be professionals (perfectly debatable, I understand). For example, it can be as simple as needing the money. University is renowned for its ability to create debt and poverty among its alumni, and after the three-to-six years undergraduate degree, no matter the subject, everybody knows what liquidity problems are. A career-oriented mentality may also move you towards this option, as you like business and want to work where you can gain cross-functional skills and be promoted quickly. If it isn’t a steady career what moves you, maybe it’s money, as you are aiming to make 100k a year by the time you’re 35 and you want to join the board of directors of a major corporation to be able to retire before you turn sixty and set sail on your personal cruise ship (if this is you, remember a Master’s degree helps increase the long-term salary!). Of course, having no business ideas and not being able to afford a Master’s degree or a sabbatical year may also push you towards this option, with the advantage of this option helping you understand what it takes to be an entrepreneur and give you some very useful skills. The toughest part about this option may be the idea of having to start from the bottom and a not-too-bright job market, so it requires networking, personal branding and another full blog post.

5. University. AGAIN!? Yes, well, the same way a sabbatical year lets you fulfil your dream to write a novel or learn how to create websites, you could also opt for taking another degree, now in creative writing or computer science. This option probably means you are not entirely happy with what you studied or that you always wanted to study this other degree too. Whatever your motivations, taking this path possibly requires the most commitment of all (maybe even more than starting your own business), as it requires both money and time. Of course, if you truly enjoyed the university life, this is a chance to do it again, maybe with a twist, after having missed the chance to study abroad and maybe now being able to overlap studies and work.

6. All of the above. There really is no reason to stick to just one option, much less in the long term. Why not work while you earn a Master's degree, taking in ideas for you future business start up, too? After your first step, choosing one of the above, you can always change and try another path.

Leaving university and being about to graduate after so many years of studying will certainly be a big step and require much thought, but consider, my fellow millennial reader, that we are not the first in this position. Many possible paths lie ahead and constantly dwelling upon the future will not make it any easier. Just like picking a degree and shifting to another in the second year – who knows what option we will like most? Life is a constant leap of faith.

The moment you doubt whether you can fly, you cease for ever to be able to do it"– J.M. Barrie, Peter Pan

---

For an in-depth list of options for for younger students, consider the "Guide to post-16 career options for parents and carers" by the Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development