I Graduated! Now what?

When one of my readers suggested this month’s blog post focus on tips for graduates after varsity, I (like most things I write) felt like I am not the right person to talk about it. For those who don’t know, I graduated in April this year and started working about a month after graduating.

Like many of us, I dreamed about graduating for as long as I could remember. I thought it would be similar to the graduation scene in High School Musical😂 . Needless to say, it was nothing like that.

Graduation Jubilation

Thanks to the pandemic, the graduation day I had dreamt of and the graduation day I actually had were vastly different. I watched my graduation from the comfort of my own home on YouTube. My classmates and I’s names just popped up across the screen for what felt like literally 3 seconds, if I blinked, I would’ve probably missed my own name. In that very moment I felt a combination of emotions, the most prominent ones being pride because me and my classmates worked really hard leading up to that moment and secondly, disappointment, because our institution didn’t make any effort. But enough rambling about my graduation, this blog post is actually about what happens after.

The rest of the day I didn’t do anything noteworthy, just reply to some congratulatory messages from friends and family.

... and just like that, I was a graduate, an unemployed graduate.

“Job seeker” status

Graduating is such a beautiful big achievement, don’t let anyone tell you differently. But, it is also difficult to fully celebrate the moment and be present when you’re not sure if or when you’re going to find a job. Unfortunately, being an unemployed graduate is the reality for most South Africans.

Job haunting is extremely tedious, and it is so difficult to find a job that doesn’t have ridiculous requirements and expectations while paying literal peanuts. Unemployment can push you into a very dark and seemingly lonely place. Applying for jobs literally daily and not getting any response is discouraging to say the least.

Advice to future graduates from a recent graduate

This section could probably be a separate blog post to be honest because there is so much, I wish I knew about life after graduating but I guess it’s something you have to experience yourself. But here are some shorthand tips:

1. Start applying for jobs as soon as you possibly can.

2. Use your contacts to your advantage.

3. Freelance, freelance, freelance. The gig economy is your growing daily.

4. Immerse yourself in your industry and learn as much as you possibly can about it.

Famous last words

If you’re on the brink of graduating, congratulations for making it this far. Those last few weeks are the most difficult in terms of workload and mental health, but keeping going, I promise you’ll thank yourself. You can do it!

If you've already graduated and struggling to find a job, also keep going, don't stop applying. Your time will come ❤❤