As a first- generation undergrad in my family, there were a lot of things I had to go through by myself, but this helped me get stronger. From all the late nights doing homework and projects to early mornings getting ready for my part-time jobs, I have been through it all and now I am two weeks away from graduating at Whittier College. This is a big chapter in my life, but it is only the beginning of my career life.
During my last year at Whittier, I did my best at perfecting my resume and polishing my interview skills. I contacted the Career Center a few times for assistance and thankfully, I have secured an accounting job that I will be starting in June. This first step is a lot of pressure off my shoulders. I do not think I found my dream job, and for a long time I thought that was going to be the case when I graduate: to transition from graduating into my dream career that I will love forever. However, now as an adult I am realistic about the value of a secure job and getting experience in the business field. I do see myself experimenting with different fields before I commit to something I would enjoy doing. This has brought new ideas in to what I would want to do for potential career paths.
Something else I am considering is going to graduate school to expand on different career opportunities, which wasn’t something I had first considered. I think the environment I was raised in never promoted graduate school. In fact, not one person in my family or even close friends of family has a Master’s degree. But now that I am completing my undergrad, I can see myself continuing my education. For now, I’m going to focus on paying my personal student debt loans, start saving for grad school, and getting experience in the accounting field.
This will be my first summer where I am not taking summer classes or thinking ahead of my next semester schedule. I will be graduating with a one-week gap before I start my new job, and luckily my family has planned a small trip to celebrate. After that, I am hitting the ground running, and will continue to plan my future.
