5 Things To Do After College While Job Hunting

By Taylor Smith on May 28, 2014

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Things To Do After College

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Graduating from college can be stressful due to the pressure to immediately land a job, even though it takes a college graduate an average of six months to find employment. As a recent college graduate I know how the challenge of finding the right job can become an all-consuming task. Even after the perfect cover letter and resume has been sent its hard not to sit around and wait for a reply.

We can’t succumb to job search stupor! Instead of wasting away in job purgatory here are five beneficial, productive and important things to do after college.

1. Read a Book

After a lifetime of required reading, it is time to reclaim your literary independence. Yes, it might be tempting to let your brain “relax” in a marinade of Reality TV, and hey, you deserve it. It’s important to remember that you can do both. Reading is one of the best things to do after college because the mental focus that reading requires is a muscle you have been building throughout college. Don’t let it waste away!

I recommend taking a trip to your local used bookstore and picking out a book for pleasure and a book for growth. Or as I think of it, a book for when you’re mentally alert and a book for when you’re tired. Biographies of successful people can be a great choice during a transitional period of life.

2. Travel Somewhere

No, I’m not talking about planning a trip around the world. Although, if you have the opportunity to leave the country I suggest you take it. Opportunities to travel abroad are fleeting, and it only grows harder to leave as you get older. This is why traveling in general is one of the best things to do after college. For those of us who are busy interviewing for jobs, or who are light on cash, there are still plenty of great options to get out of town for a few days.

Fire up Google and investigate what your state has to offer. Camping, float trips and hiking are all relatively inexpensive options. Is there a fun theme park only a couple hours away? Or a cool metropolitan city with good music? Get your friends together and recharge your batteries. It really is mentally refreshing and rejuvenating.

3. Set Goals

While most people think about setting goals only in relation to their career, it is just as important to set goals in other areas of life. If you’ve recently graduated from college like me, you’re now staring at the huge void that is “the rest of your life.” One of the best things to do after college is to set some fun goals for the near future. Your existence is no longer split up into neat 4-year periods of schooling. This can be daunting, but it can also be pretty exciting!

Don’t go overboard, just take a step back and think critically about a couple of commitments. Maybe you now have time to volunteer for a cause that you are really passionate about, or play a sport you used to love in high school. For example, I am joining a local men’s baseball league because I used to play in high school and really miss it. Setting fun and easy goals can help you prioritize and commit to fulfilling activities that college held you back from pursuing.

4. Catch Up With Extended Family

If you haven’t already, make sure you reach out to some members of your family that you may have lost touch with over the course of college. This can also apply to any good friends from high school. Everyone knows college is a crazy time, but once you’re finished with college make sure you make an effort to reconnect.

Is there a cousin across the country that you haven’t seen in a few years? Take the time to shoot them a text. Maintaining relationships with extended family and old friends isn’t always easy, but it can be extremely rewarding. If they live in a cool city maybe you can hit two birds with one stone and travel to see them.

5. Hit Up The Gym

Staying in shape is about more than swimsuit season. Getting exercise is important for cognitive function as well as keeping stress and anxiety low. There is a lot of uncertainty in life right now so it’s natural for stress to creep in. A quick jog or weight lifting session can help keep the anxiety at a healthy level. Also, when you do land that big interview, staying fit can improve your performance by increasing your alertness and your confidence.

Overall, the first few weeks in the “real world” should be about staying reasonably busy. I say reasonably busy because, hey, we just graduated from college. We deserve a little break! The idea is not about staying busy with chores or taxing work. The point is taking advantage of the time we are not looking for jobs to enjoy life and stay positive.

 

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