So, you’ve just graduated. Now what? Knowing what to do after college can feel daunting, especially as there are so many options. You could continue studying or apply to a graduate program, or even live overseas for a while.
We’ve gone through the most popular post-college options and addressed some of the pros and cons of each. We’ve also answered some key questions for graduates who are currently looking to make these key career decisions.
Do a graduate degree
A graduate degree can lead you into a career in academia, better prepare you for the working world, or could be an essential part of securing your dream career.
Take medicine as an example, once you’ve completed your undergrad and successfully passed the MCAT, you need to go to medical school so that you can become a licensed doctor.
The same goes for law.
Pros: Leaving college can feel like a culture shock, and by staying in the education system for longer you get to delay the inevitable. If you have a particular career in mind (law, medicine) you might have to go to graduate school, or a graduate degree (e.g an MBA) could make your job applications more competitive.
Cons: Graduate school is expensive. The median medical school debt for the MD class of 2021 was a hefty $200,000. A lot of money to spend if you aren’t 100% sure you want to be a doctor!
For many graduate roles, especially graduate programs, graduate school is not required.
Travel
Rarely is there an opportunity in adult life to ditch responsibility and see the world. Travelling doesn’t come cheap, with the average person spending around $21,000 on travelling the world for a year, but there are loads of ways to make it more affordable by staying in more budget accommodation or working as you travel.
For those who travel after finishing college, many will say the experiences they’ve had are life-changing and totally worth the cost.
Pros: Meeting new people and exploring the world. You’ll gain a broader view of the world and learn a lot of life lessons which could be admired by future employers.
Cons: Some graduate programs are only interested in hiring graduates within their first year of graduation, so you could miss out. It’s also pricey, but there are some ways to travel and work coming up.
Do a working holiday
With a US passport, you can work in six countries as part of a working holiday. These are Australia, Ireland, Singapore, New Zealand, Canada, and South Korea.
All of these schemes have their own unique requirements with visas allowing you access before turning a certain age (between 25 and 30).
These schemes have some restrictions regarding the nature of the work you can do, and how long you can work for each employer.
Pros: Get vital work experience while also living in another country. Some travellers see this as an opportunity to save up money to use to travel around in the country they reside in, or to other nearby countries.
Cons: You won’t necessarily be able to get your dream job. Visa restrictions limit the employers that are willing to take you on. However, there are always exceptions.
Volunteer overseas
Whether it’s teaching a language, building a school, or caring for animals, there are loads of fantastic opportunities to volunteer abroad.
Some projects ask for you to cover your costs, while others just ask for you to pay for your transport.
Often, if people are planning to volunteer overseas, they might do a fundraising drive before they leave to fund their voluntary work or to gain vital supplies to take to those who are in need.
For volunteer teaching positions you may be asked to have a TEFL qualification or similar.
Pros: Volunteering is a great way of doing something worthy while also meeting new people and seeing the world.
Volunteering overseas gives you some fantastic opportunities to learn new skills. Spending time teaching could be invaluable if you’d like to go into a career in teaching or education while volunteering itself could help set you up for a career in the charity sector.
Cons: With volunteering, you won’t be making any money. Although some overseas volunteer opportunities cover your basic living costs such as food and board, you’ll still spend money to get there and during any time off you have.
Volunteer closer to home
During college, you may have spent time focusing on your studies which could mean your resume doesn’t have much on it. On graduating, it can be a really challenging graduate job market without much experience to talk about during your applications.
If you’re able to move back home to live with friends and family then you may decide to spend some time volunteering to build up your resume while you look for work.
Volunteering could involve helping at an animal rescue, mentoring young people, working in a museum or gallery, or doing agricultural work. Try and choose something relevant to a career you’re interested in.
Pros: As you’re volunteering your time the application processes should be pretty straightforward. You can normally work around other commitments such as paid work or travel and it all adds to your resume and means you have more things to discuss at job interviews.
Cons: Again, this isn’t paid work and isn’t a long-term option.
We have nearly half a million volunteer roles currently advertised. You can check them out here.
Apply to a graduate program
Graduate programs tend to be really competitive with applications usually opening during your senior year of college. Some applications open as early as August or September of senior year.
Graduate programs are pretty standardized with work and study planned out for you. You’ll move between departments periodically during your program, this is often referred to as a rotation and allows you to gain a wide understanding of your industry of choice.
Some include formalized study, where you work towards further postgraduate qualifications. Your continuation of the scheme is based on passing these exams.
These schemes tend to be based at larger, multinational companies, so each year they’ll have a huge intake of graduates with whom you will build a lasting network of peers.
Pros: These are a fantastic way of cushioning the transition from education to work. The programs are formalized and you’ll be supported throughout.
You can also expect a stable job and a good wage during your program.
Cons: Graduate programs aren’t for everyone. When joining a large cohort of other graduates you automatically begin competing for the next promotion, or a job at the end of the scheme. Some people find this exhausting.
Also, not all careers lend themselves to graduate programs, especially in the creative industries where organizations tend to be smaller and don’t have the resources for a formalized scheme.
Start a graduate job
Graduate programs are not the only graduate-level roles available. A number of organizations from recruitment agencies to tech companies to charities, hire graduates for entry-level roles.
Entry-level jobs will be available at a wider range of companies, some with much smaller company sizes, and will be advertised all year round.
Pros: Getting your first job out of college is a huge achievement. You’ll be earning money and building your resume and portfolio. There will be opportunities for internal progression, and you may even get to work towards a qualification.
As you’ll normally be part of a smaller team you’ll get more hands-on experience in a wider range of responsibilities.
Cons: These tend to be lower paying than graduate programs as they’re offered by smaller companies rather than large multinationals.
Looking for your first role out of college? Explore graduate jobs here.
Start an internship
Internships are shorter-term paid or unpaid contracts for junior professionals ranging from 2 weeks to 2 years.
Particularly popular within the creative industries they provide on-the-job training and work experience, often at a lower payment bracket, or unpaid.
If you’re looking to try a few careers before settling down, spending a few years after graduating doing internships can be a great opportunity for those who aren’t sure what they’re looking for.
From theatre to technology, loads of organizations have internships available.
Pros: A great way of testing out a few different roles in a relatively short space of time. There’ll normally be a fair bit of training too and you won’t be expected to be an expert.
Cons: Internships aren’t always well paid, in fact, not all internships are paid at all. Often people have to supplement their internship with another role, just to pay the bills. The entertainment industry is particularly hard to crack into, so a lot of junior roles are unpaid.
Interested in interning? Check out the latest internships here.
Join the military
After high school is not the only opportunity to join the military. In fact, the military has lots of benefits for college graduates.
Each service provides a college loan repayment program, meaning that you’ll be able to clear your loans a lot quicker. You might also be able to receive $40,000 towards a graduate school program that you study outside your hours of work.
If you’re a US citizen, there is a huge range of careers available in the US military from engineering to medical, to officer programs.
Pros: A great way to pay off debt while working a stable job. The military is a long-term career and you and your family will be supported financially throughout. You may also get to travel whilst working.
Cons: The military isn’t for everyone.
Ready for a career in the military? Check out the latest jobs we have available here.
Go freelance or set up a business
Working for someone else isn’t for everyone. If you have a particular skill like design or writing or you’ve got a brilliant idea then going it alone could be for you.
As a freelancer, you won’t have a stable income but you can, in theory, work from anywhere meaning that you could become a digital nomad.
If you’ve got a business idea, there’s loads of support out there. You could join a business accelerator or take out a government load
Pros: The opportunities are endless.
Cons: It’s hard work, and means you need to look after everything from paying off your student loan to paying your tax bill.
Frequently asked questions from college graduates
Should I move to a big city after I graduate?
Not necessarily. There are graduate roles all over the US in big cities and rural locations.
Some people prefer to move home after they graduate so that they can get a job and save some money. This means they might be able to afford to buy a house sooner.
Others want to move to big cities like New York or San Francisco to start their career and meet new friends.
Do whatever feels right for you.
When should I start planning what to do after college?
For some opportunities like graduate programs, you’ll need to apply during your final year of college. However, most programs also allow you to apply the following year too so you could take a bit of a gap year.
For graduate jobs, travelling opportunities, and volunteering, you can apply as and when these come up. You don’t need to have made a decision before you’ve graduated.
Is taking time off after college a good idea?
When your peers all know what they want to do and have already secured a graduate role or are going to graduate school it can feel like you’ve failed for not having sorted things out yet.
Remember that opportunities arise at lots of different stages in life and that getting a job is not a race.
If you’d like to take some time exploring potential careers, travelling, and try new things, it might mean you come out of that period with a much clearer life plan. It’s better to spend time working out what you want than to spend time doing something you don’t enjoy.
I’ve read the pros and cons and I’m still none the wiser
Everyone is different, and everyone does different things after they graduate from college. If you still don’t know what to do still, that’s completely fine. Maybe spend some time trying a few things before making a decision.
Remember, if you need to earn after your graduation but aren’t sure what career you want, any job is a fantastic start. You can always take on small side hustles, do some volunteering, or dip your toes into freelance while you’re working in your first job.
Read more: 10 of the highest paying college majors (that don’t involve math or science)