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Student to student: OK, you’re graduating. What’s next?

February 27, 2018 By Sara Griswold

For students in their last semester here at UW–Madison, graduation will arrive before you know it.

What’s next? While it’s recommended to start planning for your post-graduate life at least two semesters from graduation, many seniors still have decisions to make with just months to go.

According to UW–Madison data, 67 percent of graduating seniors plan to work full-time, 24 percent plan to attend graduate school, with the remaining students planning to complete a volunteer experience, work part-time, provide military service, and other experiences.

Senior Clare Giezel says it best: “It is amazing how certain you can be about your future career path when deciding your college major, but as graduation approaches you begin to question those decisions you made as a high school student applying to college. As first semester of senior year came and went, I was faced with a huge decision: would I continue my education to get the graduate degree I always planned on? Or would I take the skills and knowledge I gained as an undergraduate into the workforce?”

Below are some suggestions on getting a head start to the next phase in your life.

Get a job/internship

Upon graduation, the majority of students will head into the workforce — “the real world” as many say. The idea of going out on a Tuesday night or skipping class are no longer options, and having all of your friends within one city is soon going to end. However, moving on to the next chapter can be an exciting, but also stressful time. Many web articles agree that these four tips will help you turn the pages to the next chapter with ease and confidence.

  • Meet with a career advisor to plot out your strategy. so utilize this great resource. You don’t need to do this alone. Career advisors can give you feedback on your resumes/cover letters, practice interviewing with you, connect you to employers and alumni utilizing and , and support you through the job offer and negotiation phase.
  • Before you start applying for jobs or internships be sure to clean up your social media accounts. Employers do look at your Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn and Instagram accounts. Make sure they are seeing things that you would want them to see, or at a minimum change your privacy settings.
  • Gather your references by talking to those who could vouch for your skills and experiences, and ask for their permission to be listed as a reference. This could be work supervisors, mentors, advisors, or professors/TA’s that know you well. When applying for jobs share with your references what types of positions you are applying to. If after an interview you are told that your references will be checked, send your references the position description, cover letter, and resume so that your reference can be more specific about how awesome you are in relation to the position they are hiring for. Don’t forget to write them a ‘Thank You’ for their efforts.
  • Create a resume and cover letter that is tailored to the position. Be sure to give yourself a good introduction to the company through your resume and cover letter. These are the items that will get you an interview or will make the decision to continue on with other candidates. Have your friends, family and advisor look over your resume and cover letter before submitting it to any companies.
  • Practice your interviewing Not everyone that applies for the job gets an interview, so good for you! Now in order to crush your interview you will need to practice. Whether you have your roommate ask you questions, call up your parents or attend a mock interview the time you take to research the company and practice questions will be very beneficial.

Attend graduate school or continue on for further education

Plans to stay at UW-Madison or applying to programs on other campuses? Graduate school is an option that will suite some students. There are also options to continue on and get further education including attending veterinary school, medical school or nursing school. According to the UW–Madison Graduate School website, “Many graduate programs at UW–Madison are consistently ranked among the top in their fields.  However, one size does not fit all; so be sure to select a program and institution that you are confident is the right choice for you.”

You can explore the many options here. Make sure to mark your calendars in order to ensure that you don’t miss any application deadlines.

Volunteer

There are certainly opportunities to volunteer across the nation through organizations such as Teach for America, Peace Corps or AmeriCorps. According to the Peace Corps website, a person who would make the perfect fit for their program is motivated, with a passion for service. ”Our Volunteers are changemakers, ready to partner with communities to make a difference. Every Peace Corps Volunteer is unique, and so is every Volunteer’s service.” There are also a number of opportunities through local groups. Find events and volunteer activities here. The top places to volunteer post-graduation can be found here.

Travel and see the world

There likely will not be another time in your life where you are able to take a couple weeks and travel the country or the world. If you are planning on going into the workforce, work with your employer to push your start date back a week or two — or more — and take some time with friends, family or by yourself to travel. Check an item off of your bucket list and get a new perspective on life. If your parents are asking what you want for a graduation present maybe ask for some money for your travel fund. If you’re looking to do international travel be sure to get your passport application started soon.