How to Plan for Life After College

Video Transcript

"Hi, my name is Pat Goodwin with PatGoodwinandAssociates.com, and today we're going to talk about life after college. You know when you work so hard to get through your education, and you're so excited about getting that college degree, and then you're looking for an opportunity to be able to use those skills, you may that the degree that you have your degree in, may not be the field of work that you want to explore. But how do you get started with a life after college? I would encourage you to take a look at what is it that you really, really like doing? Where have you been the happiest? What type of work did you work in internships? Did you help put yourself through college? Are you wanting to move more in your professional field of work? Is there additional education that you need to do while working? Consider all of those options. If you are very unclear about what you want to do after college and you're struggling with direction, there are some wonderful assessments that some of the colleges can have you take in their career center, to help you explore further what you do after life after college. There is an organization called AIMS which is the Aptitude Inventory Measurement Service, outstanding organizations that a lot of college graduates and other people who have gone to them, they are located in Austin - I mean in Dallas, Texas and Houston, Texas. You can go online and look and see if that's of interest to you. Life after college is an important step to your maturing, so as you enjoy the thrill of the success of getting your degree, then you begin to enter what they say is the real world. Begin to really think about how do I set an example, how do I explore career options, how do I move my life forward and be of value to some organization? If you are a serious worker, then you probably help put yourself through school. I would encourage you to begin to think about planning for your future, and taking a serious look at how are you going to manage your budget, do you need a roommate for another year or two in order to get yourself planned financially? Are you looking at buying a car now, or maybe you should keep the used car to manage your budget? Try to seriously think about keeping yourself on a budget for a while. You've been on a budget during college hopefully you've learned some discipline about that, and when you start making a salary that you're not used to, before you know it you may find that you're looking at credit card expenses, college loan expenses, housing, car, insurance. So keep in mind about getting some advice and help from people that are professionals who can help you plan professionally, start saving money, but life after college is about having fun, enjoying your field of work, feeling appreciative of the fact that you've gotten through college, you're on your way to your career. Surround yourself with people who are positive, have a great attitude. Stay away from the gossip in your office. Be positive, people watch you work, and you are the message. So what it is that you want to do in your college career after that life? And make sure that you find a balance of quality of life and work where you can have fun and enjoy work and enjoy your life as well. And hopefully that will help you think about some things that you want to do after college."