Wondering what to do with a new degree is a common and often stressful experience for many graduates. Figuring out a career path is a journey of self-discovery and exploration. This guide provides a step-by-step framework to help navigate this period and turn your degree into a fulfilling career.
Reframe Your Degree as a Set of Skills
Shift your perspective from viewing your degree as a single title, such as “History Major,” to a collection of skills you have acquired. Many employers are more interested in these transferable skills than the specific subject you studied. This makes you a valuable candidate for roles not directly connected to your field, as many industries seek the same core competencies.
First, understand the difference between hard and soft skills. Hard skills are technical, teachable abilities specific to a job, like proficiency in a programming language or data analysis. Soft skills are interpersonal attributes that describe how you work and interact with others, such as:
- Communication
- Teamwork
- Problem-solving
- Time management
- Critical thinking
To identify your skills, conduct an audit of your academic experience by reviewing course syllabi, assignments, and projects. A research paper, for example, developed your research, critical analysis, and writing skills. Group projects honed your teamwork, while presentations improved your public speaking. Make a comprehensive list of these skills to build the foundation for your career exploration.
Connect Your Skills to Your Personal Interests
Connect your skills to your personal interests and values. This introspective process moves you from what you can do to what you want to do. Aligning your career with your passions is a factor in achieving long-term job satisfaction and fulfillment, preventing burnout from taking a position that is a poor personal fit.
To start, ask yourself what subjects or activities you are passionate about outside of your academic work. What kind of work environment do you envision for yourself? Do you thrive in a collaborative setting, or do you prefer to work independently? Consider what matters most to you in a career, such as:
- Financial security
- Creative expression
- The opportunity to help others
- A healthy work-life balance
The goal is to create a second list detailing your interests, passions, and workplace preferences. By comparing this with your skills inventory, you can identify career paths that utilize your abilities and align with what you find personally motivating.
Explore a Wide Range of Career Options
The research phase involves generating a broad list of potential job titles and career paths that align with your profile. This stage is about exploration, so think beyond the obvious career trajectories associated with your degree. For instance, a psychology major might look beyond clinical practice to roles in marketing, human resources, or user experience research.
A useful research strategy is to use online job platforms like LinkedIn or Indeed in a new way. Instead of searching for specific job titles, search for the skills you identified in your self-audit. This approach can reveal a variety of job titles you may not have known existed but for which you are already qualified.
It is also helpful to look for “a day in the life” articles or videos, which provide a realistic glimpse into a role’s daily responsibilities. Explore the career pages of companies that align with your interests to see what roles they hire for and what qualifications they seek. The purpose of this extensive research is not to make a final decision, but to create a wide-ranging list of possibilities to explore further.
Build Relevant Experience
After identifying potential career paths, you may discover a gap between your current qualifications and the requirements for your desired roles. Actively seek out opportunities to build relevant, hands-on experience. This practical application of your skills strengthens your resume and allows you to test out a career field, giving you valuable insight before you fully commit.
There are several avenues for gaining this experience, even after you have graduated:
- Internships are a well-established way to get your foot in the door, and many companies offer them to recent graduates.
- Volunteering in your field of interest demonstrates initiative and commitment while allowing you to develop new skills.
- Freelance platforms like Upwork offer opportunities to take on paid projects in areas such as writing or graphic design.
- Creating personal projects, such as starting a blog or developing an app, can be a way to showcase your abilities.
- Starting in an entry-level position can provide on-the-job training and a clear pathway for advancement.
Each of these experiences strengthens your resume and makes you a more competitive candidate for your target roles.
Enhance Your Qualifications
In some cases, a career you want may require specific credentials that experience alone cannot provide. Enhancing your qualifications through formal education or certification is a consideration. This path is an investment of time and resources, so weigh the pros and cons carefully based on your research.
For some professions, graduate school is a necessity, such as a master’s degree, a Ph.D., or a professional degree like law or medicine. These programs offer specialized knowledge and advanced training that are prerequisites for certain roles. Before committing, be certain it is a requirement for your chosen career and that the potential return on investment is worthwhile.
Beyond traditional graduate degrees, there are other ways to enhance your qualifications. Professional certifications can demonstrate expertise in a specific area, like the Project Management Professional (PMP) or Google Analytics certification. For technical fields, bootcamps focused on coding or data science can provide intensive, job-focused training in a short amount of time.
Activate Your Network and Professional Resources
Leverage your network and the professional resources available to you. The people and services around you can provide support, guidance, and opportunities. Activating these resources helps turn your research and planning into tangible job prospects.
View networking as an opportunity to learn from others rather than simply asking for a job. Conduct informational interviews with people in fields that interest you. These informal conversations are a way to gain insider knowledge about a career path, industry, and daily work, often revealing unadvertised opportunities.
LinkedIn is a tool for professional networking. Use it to find and connect with alumni from your university who are working in your target fields. Many people are willing to help fellow alumni, and these connections can lead to informational interviews or job referrals.
Do not forget to utilize your university’s career services office. They often provide free resources to alumni, including career counseling, resume reviews, and access to alumni networks. These services are designed to help you succeed, so take full advantage of them.