How to Keep the Lights On While Finding Your Career Direction
You’re at your graduation and you’re listening to your peers talk about what careers or higher education they’re pursuing now that they’re finally out of the classroom. They have internships lined up and other opportunities while you still wonder what your career direction should be. While there’s no deadline for when you should figure out what you want to do professionally, having a steady source of income while you do is a necessity. Let’s look at some options that can keep the lights on and potentially help you find your career path.
1. Apply based on your existing skills
Are you a great writer? Or do you have a knack for design? Is providing excellent customer service in your job history? Are you really knowledgeable about certain subjects and could easily teach them? Do you have a hobby you enjoy? Think about where your talents are and find opportunities that are in need of those. You could also create accounts on websites like Fiverr or Upwork and offer services. This way, you can capitalize on something you’re good at and discover if it’s the career direction you want to stick with.
2. Seek out temp agencies
Temporary employment agencies, which you can find through searching temp or staffing agencies local to you, can help you land a variety of paid temporary positions. This way, you can gain exposure to different industries and companies. You can get hands-on experience in different positions without having to fully commit to just one thing, develop professional skills, and figure out what you like doing.
3. Explore side hustles
There are so many apps for ridesharing, making deliveries, selling items, or providing services. Since they often let you choose your own hours, you can work whenever you need to and can therefore have more than one side hustle at a time. While this may not be the most consistent stream of income or start out as lucrative, it’s still a way to help you keep your head above water and see what kind of services you enjoy providing. Here are some apps you should check out:
- Ridesharing: Uber, Lyft
- Selling Items: Mercari, Poshmark, Depop, Vinted
- Delivery: Uber Eats, Doordash, GrubHub, Instacart
- Providing Services: Rover, TaskRabbit
Not having everything figured out is completely normal among high school and college graduates. Just stay curious and open minded about opportunities by researching and exploring different careers, industries, and hobbies. One way to do this is to reach out to professionals in careers you’re interested in and see if they’re available to chat about what their work experience is like. If you’d like more personalized, one-on-one guidance to find your career path and excel in it, book a free consultation today with one of our ICF-certified career coaches: https://connexuscareers.org/services/coaches/
