Two Reasons Why It's Okay To Not Have a Career Post College

You did it. You accomplished something that many people in their lifetime won't ever achieve: a college diploma. All the blood, sweat, and tears {oh and some partying..hehe} got you to the finish line and now you have your degree behind you.

Now what?

Most people in their last year of college start to draft their resumes and even some begin to send them out in hopes of landing their dream job. It's a competition all over again as you and your friends shoot off resumes every day hoping to be the one to say you won the prize. But, here is something real to think about: when are you going to live a little? Society has lead us to believe that we need to stay on a timeline: college, career, marriage, children. While this timeline is a great sketch, this shouldn't be the blueprint to your life. Here are 2 reasons why it's okay to not have a career post college:

1) Do You Really Know What You Want?

If you're like us, then you probably reconsidered your major about 5 times during your college experience. Some settle on a degree that is logical or somewhat close to their field of interest. But, the fact that you had doubts and changed your mind all those times shows that you're still in the exploration stage. 3-4 years of your life in school studying does not always immediately translate to the ultimate career. It's okay to explore post college too. Take on a stepping stone job! What we mean by that is, take a baby step approach toward looking for a career by taking on little jobs that allow you to get a feel of what you're looking for. For example, if you want to be an actress, start off by working behind the scenes of a TV Show or play. Get to know the ins and outs of the area you're interested in before you make a deep dive. Don't be so prideful when it comes to money. With more experience eventually the money will come. Humble yourself so you can get a wide view of the career you think you will want down the road. Co-Founder, Karen did just that post college when she took on a Medical Sales Training Program. Ten months after the program she was placed into a Medical Sales position and felt very comfortable with the role because she had taken ten months to learn the ins and outs about it.

2) When Will You Live Up Your 20s?

Yeah, sure you probably partied in college, but that's a different type of "living it up". Going to college class every day and sticking your nose in a book most of the time doesn't fully allow you to live up your youth. Your twenties are such a monumental period in your life. You really do have the rest of your life to have a career and start a family so why not have an extended period of "me" time. Boy will you learn a lot about yourself too! EXPLORE. Travel to a different country. Live in a different city. Learn a new language. Train for a competition. Learn how to live on your own. Going from school right into a career job takes away from self-exploration at such a pivotal time in our lives. Live up your twenties while you can before all of the responsibilities that will engulf you for the rest of your life takeover. Put this into perspective: For U.S. men, the average life expectancy is 76, while it's 81 for U.S. women (source). When focusing on marriage the average age a women gets married is 27 years old and for a man, 29 (source). Now, let's insert the average age a women gives birth to her first child, which is 30 years old (source). This means that assuming you graduate around 22 years old, the average college-graduate has 5 years to themselves before they spend the rest of their life married with children to tend to. 

Why not spend those 5 years or more building yourself up and learning more about yourself? 

If you are anxious about finding a career job, slow down, and just take it day by day. Creating yourself and identifying a career with your passion takes more than just a degree. Enjoy your post college experience-you won't regret it.