Life After College—It Doesn’t Have to Be Work
It seems hard to believe, but the four short years that you have in college to take classes, make friends and explore career options will be over before you know it. Many of our posts here on the MMSF Alumni portal are focused on careers and industry opportunities after college, but what there must be other options...right?
You are so right, and we don’t give them enough credit. Here are some options that I have seen and my friends highly recommend after college if going directly into the full-time workforce isn't for you:
1. Teach for America (And Other Programs Like It)
I’m hesitant to put this as an option for "instead of the workforce", because you actually will be working here! My justification is that many people do Teach for America (TFA) but then go on to other careers afterward. Programs like Teach for America (TFA) are increasingly popular among college graduates because it allows them to pursue their dreams of teaching, but in a more structured way then just enrolling into a teaching certification program. Additionally, programs like this will also allow you to gain experience and log hours towards being eligible for certification. Students in this program pledge 1–2 years after college towards teaching in low-income communities. Teachers in this program are partnered with other teachers in their location for rooming, housing, and educational support while they define curriculum, lead trips and teach at their individual schools. Depending on your school, there can even be derivatives of this program. For example, the University of Notre Dame offers a program called Alliance for Catholic Education (ACE), which is similar but geared towards catholic teaching and catholic schools. For more information on Teach for America alternatives, check out this article. Most programs are available nationwide.
2. Volunteer Work
Volunteering is another great option because it allows you to still demonstrate workforce-relatable skills in a non-workforce setting. This allows you to still answer those tough questions in interviews around “What challenges have you faced and what did you do to solve them” along with “Give me an example of when you led others.” In programs like these, you’re hopefully taking a break after college and before you join the official workforce, while still working on something you're passionate about! There are many organizations that offer more comprehensive packages that help you find a cause, plan travel, and provide housing like Volunteer HQ (opportunities available globally). However, you can also start local and string together multiple gigs/positions through volunteer boards like VolunteerMatch.
3. Graduate School
This one deserves a post all on its own (which is coming! I promise!), but to get you started, it might make sense for you to go back to school for advanced degrees. “But I JUST finished school!,” you might exclaim. I hear you, but some industries and majors are more geared towards advanced learning. If you’d like to be a mathematics professor one day, for example, it might be good to explore the opportunities in getting some advanced math degrees (masters or PhD), whereas if you’re planning on going into law or becoming a doctor, graduate school is a must. For liberal arts students, business school is a popular option, but be prepared that most business schools (esp. the top 5) look for their candidates to have at least 2–3 years of work experience to make their time in the classroom more meaningful.
4. Traveling/Teaching English
Maybe all this planning isn’t for you. If it’s not for you, you should feel empowered to work with your parents, your siblings, your school counselor and really... just about anyone to make a more customized version of your gap year plan that fits you. For those who are looking for extended travel options, many of my colleagues and coworkers have found a lot of success in traveling/ teaching English to cover expenses in the country or region they are traveling in. There are many programs that are always on the lookout for native English speakers, and if you happen to know a secondary language fluently, all the better! Check out programs like CIEE or the International TEFL Academy.