Afraid of life after college

[na49]

Lately I've been really worried about what I will do with my life after I graduate. I am a Psychology major, and while it's really interesting, I am starting to worry about not finding a job/not making any money. This will lead to me not being able to support myself, and I won't be able to have a family some day.

 

I also am afraid that I'm not smart enough to get into graduate school. I realized pretty quickly that you need to go to grad school to go somewhere with a psychology degree. I have a good GPA, but still feel inferior. I'm regretting my decision some days, and feel like it's too late to change my mind.

 

Some days I feel like if I just stay the course, apply to grad school, and go from there, things will work out. Tonight, I don't believe that though. I feel like I'm f*cked.

 

Does anyone have any positive words, or maybe you've felt similar during your early 20's?

[Mrin]

I have two bachelor degrees: Economics and Philosophy. I have never worked a day in my life in either "field". I am quite successful.

 

Don't let an undergrad major confine you. You are entering (assuming you're in the U.S.) one of the hottest job markets in a long long time.

[na49]

I have two bachelor degrees: Economics and Philosophy. I have never worked a day in my life in either "field". I am quite successful.

 

Don't let an undergrad major confine you. You are entering (assuming you're in the U.S.) one of the hottest job markets in a long long time.

 

So what did you do after you graduated with your first bachelor's degree? I don't want to wait too long to make a decision. If grad school is what's next for me, I want to get on it. There are tests that I still need to take before I apply. I don't want to spend years out of school trying to figure it out.

 

Also I am in the US, but everyone has something different to say about the job market. Some "experts" say that college students won't find jobs after graduation, and others say they will. I have no idea what to believe.

[Mrin]

Well I believe in keeping all options open. So go ahead and register for your GRE's. I am pretty sure the GRE allows you to replace a prior score (vs the LSAT). So get an early test date so you can retake in time.

 

Then forget your degree. Take stock of your skills. Especially any technical skills you might have.

 

Make a list of what you want to try. Now make a list of all the companies you like or admire. Or entities - you might be drawn to the NGO or public sector too. Now cross reference those two lists and see if anything stands out. E.g. "Something to do with users of things and what they like" correlated against "Apple". Well, that means you might like being in the User Experience or design groups and you might be especially good at running focus groups or usability testing. Does that make sense?

 

Then start figuring out how these companies recruit undergrads. Your career services dept at your university might help out. And start applying for jobs. Remember - more recruiters go off of skills not degrees.

 

Start networking. Start applying. Leverage any contacts you might have.

 

And know this - your first job a really just a start. Experience. Skills.

 

I was an institutional bond trader out of undergrad. I did that for a year. And then went into tech. But the year spent trading bonds was invaluable.

[guest569]

This is tough, finishing school and wondering what is next has been the most daunting part of my life. I actually dropped out of my original course and got into the workforce and worked my way up and am now back to finish a different degree. Can you do a graduate degree in a different field that you feel more comfortable in? Don't fret too much, for most people it takes a little while to find their feet. You cant expect to jump into an amazing high paying job, it takes time and struggle for most people. I think the job market is pretty tough worldwide at the moment and a degree doesn't guarantee anything, but at least you will have the degree, it will hep. Just get out there and get experience and you'll figure it out. Also for many people these days careers are dynamic. Best of luck, relax and enjoy and just keep moving.

[d0nnivain]

Talk to the career counselors at school. Perhaps add a business minor if it's too late to change majors.

 

My undergraduate degree is in English, not exactly hard core job training.

 

Get creative. Think about other careers you can have besides your major. How would you feel about adding nursing to have some practical knowledge then branching out to being a nurse practitioner psychotherapist ?

[Jonp219]

Lately I've been really worried about what I will do with my life after I graduate. I am a Psychology major, and while it's really interesting, I am starting to worry about not finding a job/not making any money. This will lead to me not being able to support myself, and I won't be able to have a family some day.

 

I also am afraid that I'm not smart enough to get into graduate school. I realized pretty quickly that you need to go to grad school to go somewhere with a psychology degree. I have a good GPA, but still feel inferior. I'm regretting my decision some days, and feel like it's too late to change my mind.

 

Some days I feel like if I just stay the course, apply to grad school, and go from there, things will work out. Tonight, I don't believe that though. I feel like I'm f*cked.

 

Does anyone have any positive words, or maybe you've felt similar during your early 20's?

 

Sometimes I feel the same way. I finish college in less than 14 days and then I'll officially have my B.B.A. (Bachelors of Business Administration). It's a good degree to have, but still, I feel like I'm going to struggle in the market with there being so much competition here.

 

I took up human resources management and from what I know psychology majors can enter the human resources field as well. The HR generalist at my company has a psyche degree. I don't know if she has a masters, but shes been there for a couple of years.

 

Try looking into HR. From what I know, it's a growing field and it's expected to grow more in the next 10 years.

[na49]

Talk to the career counselors at school. Perhaps add a business minor if it's too late to change majors.

 

My undergraduate degree is in English, not exactly hard core job training.

 

Get creative. Think about other careers you can have besides your major. How would you feel about adding nursing to have some practical knowledge then branching out to being a nurse practitioner psychotherapist ?

 

I will need to talk to the career counselor when I go back to school next month. I actually am a business minor because I was worried about psychology being a waste.

 

I really need to get creative with what I want to do. I thought about HR, school psychology, child psychology, forensic psychology, mental health counseling (they don't make enough from what I read) etc. I still have no idea, and hate not having an answer when people ask me what I want to do.

 

It seems like I'm changing my mind every few weeks. I know that grad school is a commitment. I want to be sure it's what I want to go through before I go through the tests/applications. I understand it's what most psych majors end up going through, so I'm not turned off by that. I just want to make sure it's for me.

[sportygirl89]

I had a psych related degree. I worked in a mental health hospital for a year. Not the route I wanted to go. I applied for entry level health care degree to allow me to see if I wanted to continue onto Physician assistant. I may take a break but I think I still want to. I've been in college for 8 years almost as of May 2016. I worked as a tech along side this degree for a year. See what you like. Then go do it. My parents have been patient with me. The only bad thing is that I do feel incompetent to society while still in school trying to figure out what I want. Whatever you do comes with a price (more school means less social outings, less time for finding a significant other).

[CTRL C]

Lately I've been really worried about what I will do with my life after I graduate. I am a Psychology major, and while it's really interesting, I am starting to worry about not finding a job/not making any money. This will lead to me not being able to support myself, and I won't be able to have a family some day.

You are jumping ahead of yourself. Even if you don't get a job right out of college, it doesn't mean you won't ever have a job, ever be able to support yourself, or ever have a family.

Money is also not the most important aspect. Trust me you need it to survive, but whether you enjoy your career is going to be more important. Fresh out of college, you can't expect the ideal "job that doesn't feel like a job" BUT you should still enjoy what you're doing. Getting paid well will not compensate for a job you're miserable in.

 

I also am afraid that I'm not smart enough to get into graduate school. I realized pretty quickly that you need to go to grad school to go somewhere with a psychology degree. I have a good GPA, but still feel inferior. I'm regretting my decision some days, and feel like it's too late to change my mind.

 

It's not all about being smart. It's about work ethic. The most intelligent person in the world, if they're lazy, will not achieve much. Any average person, if they work hard and play to their skills, can achieve whatever they want. Instead of comparing yourself to the top 0.1% of your class, instead of focusing on what you haven't YET accomplished, look back at everything you've done and realize just how much awesome you've achieved over the past few years.

 

 

Some days I feel like if I just stay the course, apply to grad school, and go from there, things will work out. Tonight, I don't believe that though. I feel like I'm f*cked.

 

Does anyone have any positive words, or maybe you've felt similar during your early 20's?

 

I'm in my mid 20s, college grad, and know EXACTLY where you're coming from. Sometimes it just doesn't feel like ENOUGH. I'm supposed to get this job, and pass that test, and then have my own house and be thinking about kids by now! It took a while to realize that there is no "right" path. There is no stinking timeline! I've friends with babies, friends with marriages, friends traveling overseas, buying houses, getting their doctorates... Whatever works for them is right for them, and whatever works for me is right for me.

 

When we're spinning our wheels in those last years of college, the upcoming transition out of what has made up our lives for the past two decades is just plain scary. But you'll do it and you'll do it with flying colors. Remember that you should be proud of yourself for how much you have done so far, and be excited for everything you have left to do!

[runredlights]

Lately I've been really worried about what I will do with my life after I graduate. I am a Psychology major, and while it's really interesting, I am starting to worry about not finding a job/not making any money. This will lead to me not being able to support myself, and I won't be able to have a family some day.

 

I also am afraid that I'm not smart enough to get into graduate school. I realized pretty quickly that you need to go to grad school to go somewhere with a psychology degree. I have a good GPA, but still feel inferior. I'm regretting my decision some days, and feel like it's too late to change my mind.

 

Some days I feel like if I just stay the course, apply to grad school, and go from there, things will work out. Tonight, I don't believe that though. I feel like I'm f*cked.

 

Does anyone have any positive words, or maybe you've felt similar during your early 20's?

 

It took me about 6 months to find a job after I completed school so don't worry. How many years into your major are you btw?

 

Like you've said, you must have a master to do anything at all with psychology so if you're too many years deep into that I would suggest you continue and get the masters, then you're looking at a legitimate career path with decent pay.

 

If you wanna switch majors, maybe consider something more challenging which would equal higher pay more times than not. If you have in demand skills in anything STEM you will be head and shoulders above other undergrads with the cup cake majors who are looking for work.

[na49]

It took me about 6 months to find a job after I completed school so don't worry. How many years into your major are you btw?

 

Like you've said, you must have a master to do anything at all with psychology so if you're too many years deep into that I would suggest you continue and get the masters, then you're looking at a legitimate career path with decent pay.

 

If you wanna switch majors, maybe consider something more challenging which would equal higher pay more times than not. If you have in demand skills in anything STEM you will be head and shoulders above other undergrads with the cup cake majors who are looking for work.

 

Well I've basically finished my psychology degree already, and am on track to graduate next year. I think it'd be silly to not do something with psychology because I spent 3 years taking classes. I read horror stories of people who got their masters in psychology, and still don't have jobs. It scares the crap out of me, and makes me wonder if it would be worth the hassle.

 

Then there's figuring out exactly what I want to get my masters in. Psychology is such a broad field, and there are so many options. I'd hate to start my masters in something, and end up not liking it/finding it doesn't offer me a good career path.

 

CTRL C: Thank you for that. Your post made me feel much better about everything. I hope I can keep that mindset.

[Tayla]

na49, Talk with your University counselor if furthering the masters program.

 

Bravo for taking this seriously and working towards a further enhancement in studies!

 

In 20 years after you have gone thru the weaves and woes of employment you are going to be amazed where you end up! Most fascinating things on how you get to that place of...Yes! This is really what I enjoy doing!

 

(For me it is still taking naps, but derned if the sleep center hasn't caught on to that trick!)

[d0nnivain]

I searched the internet for what to do with an undergraduate degree in psychology. This was the best answer I found in my 2 minute search:

 

In the Business sector, Psychology graduates can apply in/as Admissions Recruiter, Advertising, Insurance Agent, Loan Officer, Management Trainee, Personnel Administrator, Public Relations, Retail Sales Management, Sales Representative and Textbook Representative.

 

 

In the Research division, Psychology graduates can apply in/as Grant and Report Writer, Information Specialist or Researcher, Marketing Researcher, Mental Health Aide, Research Analyst, Research Assistant, Statistical Assistant and Trainee for Product Research Companies.

 

 

In the Social and Human Services, Psychology graduates cam apply in/as Alumni Affairs Coordinator, Case Worker, Drug Abuse Counselor, Employment Counselor, Fund-Raising Specialist, Mental Health Aide, Parent Educator and Youth Counselor.

[DC77]

You're not alone. I think many of us went through these same feelings coming out of undergrad. I came out of college with an Art degree of all degrees. It's not the easiest field to break into. Probably up there with History or Philosophy. I'm not doing exactly what I had set in my mind an artist or graphic designer would do, but I've gained a lot of experience in an array of design disciplines. And I've had some really interesting projects over the years. The point is, I stuck with it and made it work for me... So here's what I can offer for encouragement:

 

 

Nothing is going to be handed to you. You have to work for it. You'll need to take control, roll up your sleeves, and put some hard work in, especially starting out.

 

 

Come to grips that a psychology job may not happen right out of college. You're green and inexperienced. Focus your energy in areas that gain you positive experience, even if it's not exactly what you had in mind.

 

 

I think you said you're still in college. Take this time as an opportunity to do volunteer work that can gain you experience.

 

 

You may need to take an "in the meantime" job after you graduate. I worked as a temp until something came through for me after college... Again, hard work will pay off.

 

 

Leave yourself open to possibilities. The more restraints you put on yourself, the more you limit yourself to opportunities. Don't be afraid to apply in different cities or to positions that may not fit your ideal.

 

 

Even if you end up in an imperfect job, remind yourself that it's a step towards the bigger goal whether it be gaining experience or just monetary support.

 

 

Whatever you do, do it with conviction.

 

 

You have time. You can always go back to school.