What if I Shouldn’t Go to Grad School Right Now? What Should I Do?
Great question! We’ll give you some ideas here, and your career advisor is a great person to talk to about post-college and career planning. Set up an appointment with your career advisor on Starfish, or email careers@sohe.wisc.edu to get connected.
- MOST IMPORTANT: Contact real people doing the jobs you are interested in for career conversations (also called informational interviews/curiosity conversations) and perhaps job shadowing opportunities so you can test things out before spending lots of time and money on education.
- Get an entry-level job in an area of interest to gain more experience and exposure to the field. *See the SoHE career guide for tips on job searching and building application materials
- Participate in a service program to build leadership skills and gain experience (for example: AmeriCorps, Peace Corps, City Year).
- Volunteer or do an internship to gain experience and exposure to your field of interest.
- Build business skills in companies that like to hire undergrads (for example: Epic, Enterprise, Oracle, Target, the list goes on!) *Note they may have early hiring timelines
- Teach English abroad and see more of the world. *Note many programs have early application deadlines.
- Take a year to work a “survival job” or temp job that offers flexibility, so you have time to explore fields of interest.
REMINDER AGAIN: Visit a career advisor for support in exploring careers and making an action plan tailored to your interests.