Wherever the Road Takes Me

College is all about learning, meeting new people and preparing for a career one day. In some cases, so much goes on over those four (or more) years of undergrad that we forget it ends at some point. During that time, it’s easy to lay back and hope that we end up where we are supposed to be. Having a good plan, however, can help ensure we’ll get there! Today I want to share some ways to start thinking about the future and tips to prepare for life post-graduation.

Where Do You See Yourself in Five Years?

This is a common question asked during job interviews, but also a good one to help you think about life post-graduation. For some students, it is not an easy decision. A medical student may want to be a surgeon or physician; a business student may want to work in finance or business management. The first big step is figuring out what you could see yourself doing. Each of us has unique skills and personalities that will fit somewhere. And in a lot of ways, it is easy to see yourself doing something that sounds fun or interesting.

Experiencing a particular job can be a useful way to figure out if that job would be a good choice for you. This can include internships, meeting with a professional in a certain field or shadowing hours. For any future job, it is important to know what you’re getting into. You may figure out that a job you didn’t think you would like is actually a great fit for you!

How Do I Start Looking?

• My Career Path on your MSU account
  • MSU’s Career Center has lots of excellent resources for exploring careers, including assistance searching for internships and related experiences.
  • On your Missouri State account, you can go to the student tab, scroll to the bottom and find the My Career Path section. Here you will find resources such as your Missouri State Handshake account, programs at MSU and even a direct link to the Career Center where you can make meetings!

• Talk with your academic advisor
  • Academic advisors meet with and see hundreds of students graduate every year. Advisors have a lot of information on what helps students succeed, what opportunities are available, where internships and shadowing are open, and more!
• Talk with your professors
  • To me, professors are a highly overlooked resource for guidance on career exploration. They are professionals in the fields they teach, making them banks of knowledge about the things you may be wondering about.

A Clear Path

After getting experience and talking with different people, it can become much clearer where you want to end up in the future. You can then plan whether you want (or need) to go to graduate school, medical school, training programs or other post-graduation education or if you’ll be ready to get into the job field immediately after graduating.

Deciding on your future isn’t something that always comes easy. So, when you are out there trying to figure out where you may end up after graduation, make sure you take your time and choose something that you will enjoy!