When you graduate high school or even college, the world can seem scary. Suddenly the routine of classes, finals, and essays is gone. What do you do next?
You have a few options:
Gain More Education
If you have a particular kind of career goal in mind which requires you to have a degree then it makes sense that you’d work towards one- starting with a college diploma or A-Levels. If you’re not sure what you want to to (and enjoy education) then it could also be worth continuing education. That way, you have time to work out your career path and once you graduate, you open the door to entry level graduate jobs.
You can then specialist by taking more education, for example a masters or course specific training at an institute such as the Ultimate Medical Academy. If you want to be a teacher or a lawyer for example, you’d usually take another year or two training after your degree. The more education you gain, the higher positions you can eventually apply for once you graduate.
However, education is expensive and a job isn’t guaranteed, so it’s not for everyone. Many graduates can find they struggle getting work as while they have the education, they have little to no experience in the working world. Think carefully and decide if this is for you. If you have a particular career in mind, doing some part time work alongside your studies or even some voluntary work can help to give you desirable experience.
Get a Job
If you get a job right after graduation, chances are you’ll be starting at the very bottom. And that’s ok, because from there, the only way you can go is up. Further study and education is never a bad thing, but it’s not for everyone. Maybe you didn’t perform very well at school or perhaps you just didn’t particularly enjoy it. If that’s the case then there’s no point forcing your way through it. If you’re keen to start work and begin earning right away then this could be the best option for you. In the time that your peers have gone to college, gone to university and found an entry level graduate job, you could have reached manager status and be earning just as well.
You will often be offered training and sometimes even education too by your workplace as you go along, for example if you work in care your workplace might pay for you to gain your credentials. It can make sense that you’d get a job roughly that’s in the industry that you want to work in. That way, all of the work you do is experience in the field as you work your way up. For example, if you want to become a retail manager then you could start off as a checkout assistant or shelf stacker. If you wanted to work in sales, you could start as a call centre worker or door to door sales person. As many companies hire internally, once better positions come up, you’re in a good place to be considered.
Get an Internship or Apprenticeship
An internship or apprenticeship essentially gives you the best of both world when it comes to paid work and education. You can still earn a wage (although this will be lower than minimum wage for your age group), but you’re given invaluable training and experience too. Many companies that run these kinds of programs give you the opportunity to apply for a full time job at the end of it. Otherwise, you have the skills and experience to apply where you want. This could be anything from working in a shop to learning a trade, see what’s available based on your skills and interests.
The only issue with apprenticeships is that they’re limited, and only usually available to younger age groups such as school and college leavers. If you’re focused at this age and know what you want to do, an internship really can allow you to get your foot in the door. See what kinds of things are available to you.
Go Freelance
Working for yourself has so many benefits. There’s no rubbish commute, no annoying colleagues and plenty of flexibility. You get to live life on your terms, and there’s no being micromanaged by a boss. However, it can take time to start earning enough money to make this work, which is why the older you get, the more difficult it can be to do. As a school leaver, you’re in a good position. If you have parents that are prepared to support you while you get things off the ground, you could really put your all into it. It might take you a year to start earning the equivalent of a full time wage, but once you’re established the only way is up.
You could become a blogger or a YouTuber, or you could work on freelancing sites. In time, you’ll develop long term relationships with clients which can give you a reliable income. Another option would be to start your own business, again as a school leaver you’re in a good position to do so with the support of your parents. This could be buying from wholesalers and selling for a profit, or making things to sell. You could through your own website, through social media or an online marketplace like eBay, Etsy or Amazon.
You could attend training days or undertake a part time business course online in your spare time to give you more understanding. Without the stress of having to keep a roof over your head, pay bills or feed yourself, you can dedicate your time to getting off the ground and earning money. But you’d need to check if this is something your parents or guardians would be happy with you doing.
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