Graduation is an important threshold in a student’s life. All kinds of dilemmas, queries, and confusion cloud your perspective and you find it hard to make a choice. The lure of securing financial independence at a young age, the passion to follow an unconventional career path, the enthusiasm to pursue higher studies, or the fun of earning while studying – more often than not the student is stressed and flabbergasted and fails to make the right choice.
Take a few moments off to find out the area of your interest since that is your inherent strength. Choices that you tend to make based on your strength or interest are usually the ones with the best outcomes.
Opting for academic/job-oriented courses
If a job is what your heart seeks and you know there is barely any chance to crack a good job with a regular graduation degree then don’t hesitate to enroll for PG Diploma, Certificate courses, or job-oriented training courses in your chosen stream. It would add to your profile and put you in line with a good job offer.
Opting for a career shift
Some of you could be adventurous and experimental and are looking forward to committing to an out-of-the-box venture. Take a pause and introspect to analyze what interests you and how do you see yourself in the immediate future. Spend some time with a career counselor, seek guidance from peers, parents, and other sources of information on your chosen career path and then decide. Once chosen, either figure out ways of earning if it’s a prime necessity or pursue a postgraduate / master's for skill and knowledge enhancement.
Opting for earn and study packages
A sizeable percentage of the student community nowadays look for options of education alongside employment. If you wish to earn and study together then Distance Education holds the key. In recent times many accredited educational institutions have customized courses designed to suit the needs of employed students. Joining such courses would help you secure an educational or professional degree during your employment tenure. It in turn adds to your profile and enhances your chances of job appraisals and promotions to a large extent.
Remember any option that you choose has its share of benefits and pitfalls. It is therefore vital that you have absolute clarity about the probable outcomes of your choice.
Choice #1: seeking a job
Financial independence, hands-on experience, and an early start are major points of attraction for a graduate. You must not overlook the importance of education and knowledge when you are looking for a job. With just a Bachelor’s degree in any discipline, your growth in the corporate sector could be crippled in no time however fanciful and satisfying it might seem at the start. Therefore you must contemplate about the reason for choosing a job, whether it suits your working pattern and if this is the kind of job you were looking forward to before your graduation.
Choice #2: taking a short hiatus for making decision
You might just want to take a leave from your usual study routine after graduation. It could get you the tag of being preposterous in your close circles, but it is not so bad a choice if you use it efficiently to prepare yourself for a fruitful career. You can simply explore all kinds of possibilities in hand and settle for the best. This option however fits in well with a financially secure student. You can learn certain specialized skills and expand your network in the chosen domain to enhance your long-run employability. In case higher studies are what you are aiming for, you can spend the year on its preparation and be ready to enter the new phase.
Choice #3: being your own boss
If you are thoughtful, creative, enterprising and the out-of-the-box type being an entrepreneur could be a tempting option. To be self-employed is perhaps the best option as you are completely in control. However, the great idea of initiating a business or a venture requires grit, determination, and dedication to pull it off successfully. A meticulous plan from the scratch coupled with sharp leadership acumen can indeed fulfill your dream of doing something of your own. Entrepreneurship is of course the happening option to choose.
- You have entire control to choose your workforce
- You are free to work on ventures close to your heart
- You get to make your own decisions
- You can schedule your work and family commitments with ease
- You can tap opportunities that you deem fit, and
- You get the credit for all your actions, inventions, designs, and creations
On the flip side, you must be ready as an entrepreneur to take responsibility for all your decisions – good or bad and stay composed in the face of difficulties. You have to master the art of juggling various duties, handle uncertainties and also create a balance between the personal and work front.
Choice #4: pursuing higher studies
For some of the students who like to play safe with their careers, pursuing post-graduation is the wisest choice. It is indeed a future investment. More career opportunities would open up after completing your Master. Courses with mandatory industrial exposure give you hands–on experience in your chosen stream. You can expect a pay hike along with an enhanced level of knowledge in your chosen subject. In the competitive job market, you would be better placed with a post-graduation degree or diploma. Needless to say, the job prospects of a student holding a post-graduation degree from international universities increase exponentially. All you need to do is plan, choose, prepare in the best possible manner within the available resources so that your dream turns into a reality.
A final thought
Everything said and done, there cannot be a definitive solution to the crisis of choosing the best option simply because it is a matter of individual perspective. In the hindsight staying informed and recognizing your surroundings is vital to survive in the rat race. There could be three plausible solutions that can defeat the confusion in your mind:
- If you are bold and confident, being your boss is the best option for you
- If you are aiming for stability then employment alongside studies would be fulfilling, and
- If you seek knowledge and continuous growth then post-graduation or higher studies is your true calling.
Read also : How To Pick A Career You Actually Like?
