The first time someone asked me what I wanted to be when I grew up, I was probably five years old. At that age, there were two things I wanted to be: a teacher or a superstar. As I got older, the answer to that question grew more difficult to answer honestly. I felt as though I had to have an answer, however, so I chose to say I wanted to be a teacher. By the time I was enrolled in college, although I was still unsure, I chose to study English education. It wasn’t until the fall semester of my sophomore year that I finally decided to change my major to English. Even still, almost halfway through my junior year, I question what I want to do once I graduate. It is okay to have no clue what career to go into because there are so many options to fall back on. Some of these options include:
Join the Peace Corps
The Peace Corps website describes it as “a service opportunity for motivated change makers to immerse themselves in a community abroad, working side by side with local leaders to tackle the most pressing challenges of our generation.” Peace Corps projects include agriculture, environment, community economic development, health, education, and youth in development. Working for the Peace Corps after college is an opportunity to give back and learn new things while taking time off. Not only is it free to join the Peace Corps, but volunteers who complete two years of service earn around $8,000 to go back home with, and there are also chances of receiving loan forgiveness!
If you’re interested in furthering your studies after graduating college, consider studying abroad. Those who study abroad are offered unique and enriching educational experiences. For example, the CLS Program, which “is part of a wider government initiative to expand the number of Americans studying and mastering foreign languages that are critical to national security and economic prosperity,” sends students overseas to learn one of 14 different languages to be used in their future careers. In addition to the CLS Program, there are so many more unique study abroad programs offered to graduate students.
Work Part-Time
If straying too far from home is not something that sparks your interest, working part-time in a place like a restaurant, a library, or even as a taxi driver is always a good idea. Working part-time allows for room to take part in enriching activities, like making short trips to new cities or joining a fitness club or a book club, while still having the money to support the cost of living. Even better, consider taking a college class here or there to continue learning while working part-time.
