Every college student faces the same decision: What to do after graduation. Graduates might choose to continue their education, get further real-world experience, go straight for their first job or even take some time off.
Career Services program coordinator and career counselor for the College of Architecture and Environmental Design Carol Moore said students should be proactive and not “emotionalize” the process of choosing their post-graduate path. When she counsels students, she helps them go over all their career possibilities in a structured schedule.
“It’s a numbers game,” Moore said. “We do two (opportunities) a week … and then we follow up with the two from last week … so pretty soon, you’ve got this huge big job happening. Then, pretty soon, you’re going to have some results.”
Gluttons for education
For those who enjoy being in school and want to continue that path, or want a more specialized education, graduate school is the right choice. While not every career requires students to attend graduate school, it’s necessary for some careers such as becoming a lawyer or doctor.
For Moore, students who go to graduate school have to love it or there’s not really a reason to do it.
“To me, graduate school is not a place to hang out or hide out or buy time — it’s expensive and it’s like ‘Wow, you need to kind of know what you’re doing there,’” Moore said. “And, how are you going to do well and like it if you’re not really into it?”
Moore said students who want to go to graduate school should apply to several different places (her favorite “lucky number” is seven). She also said she encourages students to find out about the projects being done in their intended area of study that interest them so they can mention it in their letter of intent.
One career that usually requires some sort of post-undergraduate study is teaching, according to Charlotte Rinaldi, the career counselor for the School of Education and the College of Liberal Arts.
While a credential is required for teaching at a public school (from kindergarten through 12th grade) it’s not always needed for teaching at private schools, Rinaldi said. And teaching at a college level doesn’t require a credential but does require at least a master’s degree, she said.
For kinesiology students, the right post-graduate path depends on the individual, kinesiology associate professor Ann McDermott said. However, she said students in the department should be sure about going to graduate school, especially if they intend to enter some sort of health profession. Graduate school might end up giving them more debt and limit their education to an area they might later realize isn’t right for them, McDermott said.
While some kinesiology students do benefit from going right into a job after graduation, for others it can be a good idea to work for a while and then come back to graduate school, McDermott said.
“If you have a vision where you want to go down the road (or) you need a little breather, use the time to go establish residency in a place where your odds are increased for getting into the graduate program of your interest later on,” McDermott said.
Those students should prepare as much as they can to stand out to employers, McDermott said grades are great but real-world exposure “is really what people need.” And an experience like AmeriCorps or Food Corps can be a good idea when a student is figuring out what they want to do, she said.
Political science sophomore McKenzie Goldman said she knows graduate school is in her future.
Goldman said it will give her even more of a competitive edge when applying for jobs.
“It gives you more knowledge of that specific field,” Goldman said.
For food science and nutrition students, some kind of post-graduate study is usually required, according to food science and nutrition professor Doris Derelian — with that education they’ll be more competitive in the areas they want to study. She said if nutrition students want to be dieticians (and Derelian said that’s about half of the major) they will have to complete an internship that’s similar to a fifth year of school to become a certified dietician.
Sometimes “there’s a weariness” that can be seen in graduating seniors in the department which can be helped by a break before graduate school or a job, Derelian said. She also said she recommends food science graduates spend a few years in a job that might not necessarily be ideal, and then once they figure out specifically they want to do, go back to school.
“What I think happens in food science is the jobs develop as you work in the industry,” Derelian said. “In nutrition, the jobs exist right after graduation.”
Getting your hands dirty
For those graduates who have had enough of studying after Cal Poly, but want more exposure before applying to jobs, more real world experience like internships or volunteer work might be the right choice.
For economics professor Eric Fisher, working in the Peace Corps in Morocco after his undergraduate career was the right choice — he said it helped him see that he should concentrate his efforts in economics.
Though Fisher said “there are a lot of smart people at Cal Poly” the Peace Corps path takes “intellectual capacity and drive,” and isn’t for everyone. He said the best post-graduate option depends on the student, and usually, a few graduating Cal Poly economics students do go to graduate school for economics and many get jobs in a variety of fields such as law, sales or business. Economics is traditionally one of the most popular majors in the country, he said.
“Economics is a good major because it makes you think logically,” Fisher said.
Moore said she encourages getting more experience in your intended field because it shows initiative and responsibility. An experience such as Teach for America or the Peace Corps “would be an amazing experience” and is 100 percent worth it, she said.
She also said if they can, post-grads should “maximize” when working in an internship or volunteering — adding to their resume with activities or developing skills at the company or organization.
“You should have lunch with someone every week,” Moore said. “Network with people. Have lunch with people. Develop those leadership skills.”
Modern languages and literatures associate professor Kevin Fagan said the paths graduates in the department take are almost split three ways between graduate school, internships and jobs. Sometimes students who have gone to another country for a study abroad program decide to go back and explore, he said.
However, Fagan said he always recommends students go into the Peace Corps — that’s his No. 1. That volunteer work will enhance their language, cultural and personal skills, he said.
“That is the highest way because it’s well-organized and it’s well worth while,” Fagan said. “I think the best way to relate to people who speak another language or live in another culture is to help them in some form.”
Ready for the “9 to 5” workday
For those who want to get working in their field of study right away, pursuing a job after graduation is the right choice.
Moore said the first job graduates get probably will not be their “dream job.” But, she also said students should be smart when approaching a job opportunity — for example, being a good listener, knowing about how you would benefit the company and looking professional.
“You are you, and you need to brand yourself as highly professional,” Moore said. “Try to develop yourself.”
Construction management associate professor Philip Barlow said while his department encourages graduates to get further education if they want, an advanced degree isn’t “as highly prized” by employers. Approximately 80 percent of graduates from the department go into commercial construction management, Barlow said.
“Because we’re a professional department; we’re not a theoretical department — we are very much in tune with what our industry partners are very excited about, which is our kids hit the ground running,” Barlow said. “So we leverage that and we recognize that.”
Forestry and natural resources senior Nick Ioli has a job ready for him after graduation — his own fishing charter boat business in Costa Rica. He’ll be moving there after he graduates, and said it’s what he’s always wanted to do. Graduate school is still an option, he said, but the degree won’t really help with what he plans to do.
“I’ve been saving since I was a little kid,” Ioli said. “A bachelor’s (degree) is nice to fall back on.”
Taking a break from life
For those who want some time to themselves or to see the world before the next stage of their lives, traveling or taking several months off might be the right choice.
While Moore said students should travel if they can, she added that they shouldn’t let it be all leisure time.
“Do something if you can; even volunteer while you’re abroad, and meet people that way,” Moore said. “And that’s a little résumé item — ‘While on my trip to so-and-so, I saw this need, and I was able to do this.’”
Mechanical engineering associate professor James LoCascio said a post-graduate path depends on the individual, and though he has advised students in the department to go to graduate school or enter industry work if it’s a better choice for them, he’s also a fan of traveling.
“I’ve known students who have just gone essentially around the world. … They were very special people,” LoCascio said. “I do suggest if (graduates) can afford it that they should not start working immediately and take two months or three months and travel.”
Deciding what to do after graduation takes baby steps, Moore said. She said people should stay organized in looking at their options and look carefully at each one. At Career Services they don’t see every student at Cal Poly, so Moore said most do figure their post-graduate path on their own.
However, she said she and other counselors are not responsible for what students decide to do — it’s up to them.
“When they walk out the door, fundamentally they are 100 percent responsible for doing or not doing,” Moore said.