Navigating Post Grad: Stop Thinking and Start Doing! 10 Questions To Help You Refocus

Whether you’re a senior in college or a recent graduate, you’re likely trying to figure out how to make a smooth transition from the world of textbooks and exams to the world of work. It’s a challenging time, and it can be intimidating to step into the unknown. However, this is also an exciting time where you get to shape your own career and life as an independent person.

Aside from the many questions that come with graduating, or starting a new job, many of my peers seem to be at a pit stop: "What career do I want to pursue?" "I don't know what I want to do with my life" "I don't want just any job" "I don't want a desk job." And hey, that's all fine-until you have 20$ left in your bank account, you cant put gas in your car, your summer bucket list comes to a sudden halt and your parents don't seem to feel as bad for you as you do for yourself.

Then what?  (Besides beating yourself up for procrastinating.) You know you have to gather your thoughts, but you don't know where to start, the questions about your future are still there, and they are weighing heavier than ever.

You have to stop THINKING and start DOING!

For those of you still following, start by grabbing a pen and paper and find a place where you feel comfortable and relaxed. Close your eyes and think of a a tough decision, a big question or problem that you are weighing and would like an answer to.

You might be tempted to just skim this post and pretend you have a topic, but don’t keep reading until you have a topic or idea in mind that is so-big-it’s-scary (but also exciting).

When you have the topic, jot down your thoughts, ideas and answers on a sheet of paper.

10 questions to help you stop THINKING and start DOING

1. When you think of [topic/idea], what are you most excited about?
2. How does this [topic] fit in with your vision of your greatest self?
4. What’s holding you back / What are you afraid of?
5. What support do you need to move forward?
6. What one next step would make the biggest impact to move you forward (or help with your decision)?
7. What would achieving this get you?
8. Close your eyes and ask each major decision-making system for advice: What does your head say? What  does your heart say? What does your gut say? How can you reconcile these?
9. Dig deeper. What do you really want?
10. What are you waiting for?

After you've reflected on the questions above, take a minute to answer the million dollar question: Reflecting on your answers above, what are you willing to take ACTION on, in the next week?


This exercise can be used for any and all the big questions you may face during your transition. In taking time to reflect and think thoroughly, your job search, apartment hunt and finance managing will become much clearer! This process will help you  figure out exactly what you want, keep you organized and allow you to begin prioritizing your goals as they relate to your career!

So Now What? Life After College: An Introduction

College can be some of the best years of your life, but what happens after graduation? With the tough economy, increased costs of living and outsourcing of jobs, what’s a recent graduate to do?

The plan seemed straightforward: graduate from college, land a job and then breeze through work like it’s the first day of school. Only you’re no longer a student and there aren't any teachers or a syllabus to follow. Heck, some of your office peers have children your age...

You had no idea how drastically different the professional world would be from college life. Nine-to-five workdays, unfamiliar faces, rent to pay, no more summer vacation (ugh)… It’s enough to make you curl up into a teary-eyed ball beneath your cubicle...

But then you remembered that saying your mom, pastor, rabbi, wise old neighbor, grandpa, overly compassionate friend etc. always used to say, that you always never listened to: "It could always be worse." And for once, you know its true, because you could have been in this situation...

Imagine: Graduation season has come and gone, and as you watch all your peers begin to land those finance and accounting jobs, you begin to seriously wonder why you thought it would be a good idea to save the world or become a journalist...

Even sitting at your computer to get your daily dose of Facebook becomes a self depreciating task. As all the business school kids make status updates about signing the lease to their new NYC apartments, you are sulking and packing your clothes into large garbage bags to move back in with your parents. (Because really, whats worse than having a home to come back to!?!)

Your job search is going just as bad as your attitude. You've updated, revised and edited your resume a near 20 times and you just can't seem to land an interview, or even hear back from an employer. You're stuck, and with each failed effort the idea of throwing in the towel and moving somewhere pretty like Colorado to become a career Starbucks Barista is looking better and better.

BUT THEN THE STORM CALMED AND THE SKY OPENED UP, ALL BECAUSE YOU FOUND THIS BLOG!