Ok you've graduated. Now what do you do? Read our helpful hints to get started on your plan!

Continue learning. Take a continuing education class.
Learning shouldn’t stop just because you’re not in school anymore. I think that we always have something to learn so I'm a big fan of lifelong learning. Find something that really interests you and figure out ways to learn more about it.

You can further your studies by taking a short course which is not necessarily part of what you majored in at college. For example, if you were a History major but want to pursue a different field, like business or computer science, taking classes gives you a foundation to begin looking for entry-level jobs in that field. 

Keep in touch and update your LinkedIn profile.
If you didn’t learn it in college, you will soon learn it in the real world — networking is one of the most important skills to have. Sure, you could be the best writer in the world, but if nobody knows about you, you will never get discovered. Keep in touch with the people you meet in college, because you never know when you might be able to help each other out in the future. It’s simpler than ever to stay connected now with sites like LinkedIn created exactly for this purpose.

Tweaking your LinkedIn mission statement and career-related experience after leaving college is a major way to get noticed in the online job hunting pool. Earn a prestigious award at graduation or wrap up a huge senior capstone project?  Add these grand-finale honors to your list of LinkedIn credits, and begin following companies on the site that you would be interested in working with. You never know when a new job posting will be listed.

Clean out your email.
I know this sounds silly, but it feels great once you do it. If you never sorted all of your emails into folders or deleted junk mail, it’s time to get out the trash can. This can be a cleansing process starting with all of the old emails from your professors that you would prefer to delete. It’s also a fun walk down memory lane. Plus now that you've eliminated the clutter you'll be sure to see those important emails that may help you moving forward.

Update your resumé.
Be sure to add your new degree under the education section of your resumé. In addition, insert relevant experience gained during your school years, such as through internships, as well as awards and school projects that highlight your skills. Remember not everything listed on your resume has to be paid work experience. Anything that demonstrates that you are disciplined or dedicated to the field can be relevant including volunteer work or coursework you accomplished.

Your next career move: job or graduate school?
For some of you, the career you want to pursue requires a graduate degree.  For others you may take the plunge into graduate studies to avoid a bad job market or to just avoid getting a real job.

Whether you're interested in pursuing a field other than what you majored in, or want to further develop career-specific skills, consider taking continuing-education classes at Fitchburg State University. We have more than 45 graduate and undergraduate degree and certificate programs.

Take the first steps toward achieving your educational goals and register for an Information Session to find out more.