\u201cYou graduate on Saturday. You go to church on Sunday. Then it\u2019s Monday, and you\u2019d better have a plan.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
It was a piece of satirical advice given by a professor in one of our upper level classes. He meant it as a joke, and we took it as such. However, this was the vocalization of a very real fear I have faced for the past two years.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
What if I don\u2019t have a job lined up after graduation?<\/p>\n\n\n\n
For two years, I\u2019ve been terrified of such a possibility. When the caps and gowns were put away, the farewells said, the apartment packed up \u2014 what then? The thought of returning to my hometown without a plan for the future was horrifying.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
If I\u2019m being honest, it all stemmed from a deep-rooted fear of being embarrassed. If I moved back into my childhood room and returned to my parents\u2019 home congregation, I was going to face the same question over and over. \u201cCongratulations on graduating! What\u2019s next?\u201d I could already envision the pity in their eyes when I told them I was looking for a job. I was already cringing at the awkward pause that would follow.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
For two years, I had fully bought into the lie that I was going to be a loser and a failure if I didn\u2019t have a dream job in an exciting city lined up immediately following graduation.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
And now, here we are, less than a month away from May 9, 2020. I\u2019ve applied to dozens of jobs with no luck, and there aren\u2019t nearly as many companies actively hiring entry-level communicators right now. In many ways, this is my worst nightmare.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Oddly, though, I feel more at peace with the thought than ever before.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
I know that when I finally finish up these online classes and even when group gatherings recommence, people will be understanding that I don\u2019t have a post-grad job yet. It\u2019ll take a while for the job market to get back to normal, and that\u2019s OK. I\u2019ll be OK.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Will I continue to apply for any open jobs I can find? Yes, of course. And if I somehow line up a job in the next few years, I\u2019ll be thrilled. However, I\u2019m no longer controlled by the fear of embarrassment.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
We\u2019ve all been searching for silver linings through the craziness of this pandemic. Hopefully, you have found several \u2014 more free time, a chance to refocus on what\u2019s important to you, a time to reconnect with family. If you\u2019re a senior like me, I hope you can add one more silver lining to that list: It has never been more understandable to not have a job lined up after graduation. And for that, I am thankful.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
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