Wednesday, November 16, 2011

How to Survive a Post-Grad Crisis (After You Get the Job)

Recently, a friend graduated, got an internship, and then quickly got a great job in her field. Luckiest girl ever, right? That didn't stop her from having a crisis. What do you do when you get the job, you've got the paycheck, but you still freak out about your life?

Her main worry was that she was stuck doing this job for 8-9 hours a day, stuck in traffic for a few hours, and in bed by 9 p.m. Where is the fun? Did she really want to do the same thing over and over and over? She was making it sound like a nightmare straight out of "Groundhog Day". If you're plagued by the same thoughts as a post grad, here's what you can do about it.

First of all, relax. Take a look at your job once you settle into it. The first few weeks and even few months of a new job can be tricky and scary, even if you love the job. You won't always have the best co-workers, clients, etc. A few months into it, evaluate. Are you feeling more confident? Do you love the job? We will all have bad days, but you should have more good days than bad.

Make time for fun. All work and no play will make your life a drag! Enjoy your weekends and turn off your work emails. Forget about work and take those days to recharge and let loose a little bit. Every once in a while, swap the extra sleep for some friend or family time on a weeknight.

Remember that at most jobs, even though you do the same thing every day, it won't be the same. You will have new co-workers someday, new patients or clients, different problems to solve, and new projects.

Finally, allow yourself to freak out every once in a while. We need to vent, cry, scream sometimes to get over it, move on, and get happy. Best of luck to everyone in their prospective jobs and job searches!

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