What I’m Doing After College

Hello friends! Last week, I wrote about why I chose not to go straight to grad school after college. You should read that first so that you’re all caught up for this post!

Anyway, I wanted to follow that post up with what I will be doing after graduation. I have a lot of things that I would love to do at some point in my career. There is a huge list, but I think I can manage that list. A lot of what I want to do is not necessarily stuff that would be a full time job.

I see myself having a couple part time jobs and a sort of side hustle so that I can pursue all of my interests. So, without further ado, here are my post graduation plans!

1. Move Back Home.

It’s certainly not the most glamorous of places, but it’s free, for the most part. I won’t have rent to pay, so that means I can spend more money or time working on different projects and spending time with family and friends.

Moving home after college doesn’t have as big of a stigma as it used to, but it’s still there. People who return home might be thought of as lazy or unsuccessful. While I can see why people feel that way, it can be a great way to save some money.

2. Look for a Flexible Part Time Job.

I need to start working, but I just don’t feel ready to commit to a full time job just yet. A full time job would take up a lot of my time. I’m young, and I want to live and enjoy a bit of the post college life before diving into full time work.

I would love to find some freelance writing or editing gigs or some other online job in the digital media field. That would give me the opportunity to choose where I work, such as from home, at the library or even a coffee shop.

The job search will be tough, but I plan on working on my resume and surveying the job market over the next few weeks.

3. Keep Up with Music.

This past week, I was home for spring break. Before the break, I was starting to dread playing music. There’s been a lot of drama going on in your music community, and I don’t like drama or confrontation. The week away was just what I needed to regain my love for playing music.

I plan to keep playing flute and piccolo as well as work on some music arrangements and compositions. Music is what I chose to major in, and I want to pursue it further. While I won’t be able to make it my career right off the bat, I will do what I have to to create a career as a musician.

I also hope to make music fun for me and for any future students or other contacts. Music shouldn’t be stressful; I would love to teach music privately one day. I can see myself teaching flute lessons, music theory and other related skills. Just not in the public schools…

4. Enjoy the Change of Pace.

I have been in school ever since I could remember. I’m looking forward to a different daily life. Starting my career as a writer/musician, not having to worry about homework and just enjoying my life sounds amazing right now.

My daily routine will depend on the type of job I get, but it won’t involve studying for tests or writing papers. I will be done with formal education, but I still plan on learning in my free time. I have so much more to learn about music, blogging and more.

The new chapter in my life will allow for things I never had before.

5. Work My A** Off.

As a creative person, I know success won’t come easy. I will have to take some low paying or uninteresting jobs before I get to the good stuff. I will have to play flute for free before getting paid. These next few years will be the time for me to hustle so that I can continue to do what I love all day.

I don’t necessarily want to be busy all the time, but I plan to stay somewhat busy. I will do what I have to do so that I don’t have to take a boring office job. No offense to people in office jobs…that’s just not for me.

So…

Are you looking forward to the end of the year? If you are graduating, what are your plans? Let me know in the comments or on Twitter (@HannahHaefele)!

Thanks for reading!