The countdown to graduation and you don’t know what you want to do:

You have put in your time, attended classes and you still don’t have a job. In fact, you are really unsure of what you want to do. Many of your friends are getting jobs and you are getting pressure from your parents. What can you do?

First of all, know that you are graduating into a career situation that is vastly different than what others experienced in the last few years. There are signs that the economy is vastly improving and that there are more jobs out there.

Understand that not everyone has a job upon graduation. Many companies hire for immediate starts and don’t hire in advance. (Accounting and financial is one area where they do hire in advance).

It is more important for you to first gain insight on what you want to do so that when you there are opportunities you are better prepared to discuss why you should be considered. It is key to understand what your skill set is and what makes you happy.

We have read where graduates today may have multiple careers – many of them. Not jobs, careers! Many baby boomers are now starting to retire from careers they have had for 20+ years and are deciding to go after jobs that they enjoy or are passionate about – often 180 degrees from their past career.

The graduates today are going to do that much sooner in life. Here is a real life example:

John graduated from one of the top schools in the country and went to work for a major financial company. He worked there for a little over a year and resigned. He started a company with some college friends, moved to a new city where they sold the business and made a small amount of money. He then went to cooking school and landed an internship in one of America’s hottest restaurants. He did that for several months and then applied to, was accepted and attended one of the top 5 law schools in the country. He has since graduated and joined an investment banking firm. John just turned 30.

Don’t panic if you don’t know what you want to do. Get experience. Do internships. Accept volunteer work. Sign up to be a temp to gain insight into different businesses. Think about what makes you smile.