Earlier today, a clip came up on my Facebook feed. The writer of Coraline, Neil Gaiman, delivered the commencement speech last year to the University of the Arts graduates, explaining the creative pathway he etched in order to follow his dreams. This speech was so much better than the one at my own commencement, where they basically told us to become bottom-feeding pawns in a corporation. Maybe I should have gone to an art school! This speech was chock full of golden nuggets of wisdom, such as: Make interesting mistakes; Don't take a job just for the money; Send out lots of messages in a bottle, and when they start to return, choose wisely; Do not take a position that leads you away from your mountain - your ultimate goal(s); There are 3 things necessary for success in getting work: being a joy to be around, doing good work, and meeting deadlines. But you only need two of these! And lastly, Make good art. When everything falls apart, if you are happy with what you make, you are on the right track.
I just finished the last requirement for my Bachelor of Science in Global Environmental Science with a minor in Theatre from University of Hawaii at Mānoa. Like 4 days ago. And the answer to the ultimate question that every single person will torment me with: "What are you going to do now?" has eluded me in a significant way. Not because I don't have goals, mind you. I just don't know exactly how to reach them.
There is nothing new about this quest for purpose after graduation. Our current education system is designed so that some students end up with all the right connections, and that in itself begets more success. But what about the rest of us? The graduates that worked hard just to survive through higher ed and try to find something to eat besides ramen, but lacked the understanding of social structure, and graduated only to look around and say.... What now?!?!?
If I could go back to the beginning, I would network better, but I still have yet to grasp what that actually is. I mean, I even wrote a paper on the importance of networking, but I still don't really get it. Dale Carnegie's book, "How to Win Friends and Influence People," was great, but I'm not in sales and no one I know has a Rolodex anymore. The principles come down to trying to do good for others and connect your own networks with each other when applicable. This I love to do, but it has never turned into a "J.O.B." for me.
A little bit of research led me to the following articles:
Networking for People Who Hate Networking
Networking for HatersThe 7 Mistakes You’re Probably Making on LinkedIn
LinkedIn MistakesUsing Twitter for Job Search
Jobs through TwitterResume Samples
I signed up for a free Resume Course, and I have plans to meet with the UH Mānoa Career Center, that boasts the following services:
Recent Alumni Services
Recent Alumni are those alumni who have graduated within the past 5 years from UH Mānoa. As a recent alumnus, you are entitled to several of the same services that are provided to UH Mānoa students including:
- Career Counseling
- Resume Critique
- Workshops
- Usage of Mānoa Career Center's resource library
- Online search for full-time job opportunities
While I don't have any solid answers about the future, I am processing and digesting all of this information coming my way in an attempt to stay true to my passions, follow my dreams, and become more of the person I feel like on the inside. Integrating my inner passions with my outward existence is huge step.
In order to get there, I need a rock steady resume, which is surprisingly difficult right now. I have a few projects that I am very proud of, but most of my experience remains in my previous career (restaurant/bar). My lack of participation in the right groups, clubs, and other college offerings is painfully obvious now!
If you are contemplating after college life, do yourself a favor and get involved on campus! Meet people, not just new friends, but people you admire for their contribution to society. This is the one peice of advice I cannot stress enough!! Build that network when you don't need it, and when you do, it will be ready to help you succeed.
What I am hoping... is that I am in an after graduation blues slump, and soon I will contact some professors and ask for recommendations, the letter type and the people type. I am an adult now, no longer a student, and it's time to grow up and go after my dreams!
Good start, I say!
No comments:
Post a Comment