“I wish someone would have first reminded me that my undergraduate years were meant to be an opportunity for me to explore and start noticing what direction my brain and heart were pulling. Reminded me to trust where they were taking me and to try to figure out the WHY I was being pulled one way or another. I wish someone would have sat me down, looked me in the eye and reminded me to not minimize myself, my interests and intentions. It’s all learning, it’s all useful because it tells you something about who you are, where your strengths are and what lights you up. I wish someone would have reminded me that careers are not one stop destinations, they are winding and evolving and it is wise to keep honing and reinventing yourself as a professional and person.
I wish someone would have reminded me that even after undergrad we often start at the bottom of the hill, it’s ok if your first job out of undergrad is not the perfect job, it most likely won’t be! But that’s ok, trust the path and follow your instinct. All jobs have some good and some bad, so be strategic about what skills and connections you grow. And also don’t forget to enjoy the moment, I have been guilty of spending so much time looking forward that I forget to slow down and take in what is happening now. Life after undergrad is also building time, it’s still exploring time so don’t forget to enjoy the time and the journey.”
