On the 19th of July, I graduated from University. It was a two sided day. On one hand, I was ecstatic for it all to be over. All of my hard work had accumulated in a first class honours degree, and I could now reap the rewards. It was a day full of friends and family and joy. But, on the other side of the coin, it was a scary day. It was the first day of the rest of my life. It was the first day to see if there really were any rewards to reap. It was the first day that I was sent out to fend for myself in the world.
Throughout my second semester, people (particularly those older than me) would ask me, “what are you going to do after university?” “What’s your plan?” “Where are you going to work?”. And I couldn’t answer. At least, I couldn’t answer with the response that they wanted. I had countless baby boomer after baby boomer asking me whether or not I had gotten a job in my field yet, but again and again, I had to tell them no.
I remember one time specifically, when I was at a family event, and a family member asked me if I had gotten a job yet. At that time, I had just started working at a call center (which turned out not to be for me, but that’s another story entirely), so, triumphantly I told her yes! I had a job that was regular and well paid. Yes, but is it in your field? she asked. It wasn’t. She sighed and told me I would find something soon, I just had to work a little harder.
That always seems to be the answer from the baby boomer generation, doesn’t it? “Oh, those millennials just need to work harder. They’re too lazy!”, they’ll shout from their couches. But it’s just not that easy anymore.
Once upon a time, people could walk into jobs straight after finishing university. They didn’t even need degrees for many jobs either. People could buy houses and live comfortably on small wages, but things have changed. The economy isn’t the way it used to be.
Millennials are unique in that we have been brought up to be told that we are special and that we can accomplish anything. Therefore, we should do something amazing and meaningful with our lives. But, with a changing economy, meaningful jobs just aren’t as easy to come by. That’s not to say they’re impossible, but it’s also not something that will easily pay the bills.
Since my graduation, I have been unemployed and thinking about what to do with my career. I tried working in a 9-5 office job, but it sucked away at my happiness every day. I tried working freelance, but it will take a lot of time before I could support myself with that.
The best advice I can give is, just give yourself a break. If you have someone that can help to support you, or if you have savings, let yourself be unemployed for a while. Travel. Experience. This is the prime time to do it. If you have to work, don’t worry if you have to work a deadbeat job for a while to pay the bills. Don’t be embarrassed to work at a bar or a coffee shop. And, most importantly, never, ever let baby boomers tell you that you aren’t doing the right thing. Just smile at them, thank them, and ignore their advice. Nobody knows what is right for you but you.
