The Red and Black

Issue date: 12/5/07 Section: Variety

RACHEL WEBSTER

The student lifestyle is a sweet gig.

The typical student, unlike the average adult, goes to class a few hours a week, doesn't worry about mortgage payments and has hobbies that don't include bingo games.

As another semester ends, adulthood draws ever nearer. Soon, a new batch of college graduates will enter the "real world" with the "grown-ups."

The opportunities are endless, the decisions mind-boggling, the stress and pressure skyrocketing.

"It's pretty intense right now because I will graduate, but the pressure to find a job is laid on pretty thick, especially from my parents," said senior Amy Turner, a speech communication major from Blue Ridge.

"Everyone's always like, 'What are you studying? What are you going to do?' And I'm like, 'I don't know.'"

Turner plans to spend her final winter break researching job openings and tweaking her résumé.

"I never really expected to find my dream job, especially right out of college, so I'm pretty much willing to accept any job that will pay me to work," she said.

Career Crunch

Although helpful, finding a job before graduation does not guarantee a relaxed state of mind.

Graduation is capable of producing anxiety in the gainfully employed and the faithfully searching, alike.

Denyse Owens is one example. The senior from Chattanooga, Tenn. had her pick of job offers after using DAWGlink and doing interviews on campus at the Career Center.

Even though she found a job as a sales representative she said she will "love," she still feels "a ton" of pressure from her approaching graduation.

"It's great to have a job lined up, but my lease runs out on the 15th, which is the day of graduation," said Owens, a broadcast news major.

Pressure comes from fear of the unknown future, whether or not the student has employment plans, according to Scott Williams, executive director of the Career Center.

"If a student hasn't found a job, it centers more around questions like, 'What kind of job am I going to have and will I like it?'" Williams said. "If a student has accepted a job, the stress is more likely about entering a new environment."

Working the Network

College concerns pale in comparison to preparations for the future.

Social skills, often polished to perfection in bars downtown, morph into professional networking practices.

Clever networking helped senior Victoria Lowery land her dream job as an account executive for a radio station, writing catchy jingles to broadcast between songs.

Lowery, from Glendale, Calif., had an opportunity to talk with the station's programming director and took an unpaid internship before getting a paid position.

"You've got to be willing to do it for free so they can see that you're serious and passionate about it," she said. "The internship wasn't even in the field that I wanted, but I sort of worked my way over and got my name out there."

Regular paychecks should help alleviate some of what Lowery feels about her future - financial pressure.

She wants benefits and good hours to go along with monetary compensation. Quality of life is a consideration, she said, even though she will be fresh out of college.

"You want to know that all the work you put in is going to pay off," she said.

Changing Perspectives

Is anyone immune to the stress of graduation? It depends on perspective.

Fifth-year senior Robert Smith, who said he stayed an extra semester to get another football season under his belt, chooses to view graduation as an accomplishment.

"If anything it's taken pressure off me because I have my degree," Smith said. "That's what you've been working toward."

Although he hasn't found a job or finished applying to graduate school, Smith said his ultimate goal is to "work toward something and build my stock toward something better" by having a career - but not yet.

"I still feel too young to be in the adult world," he said. "It's like purgatory for graduate kids."

Getting prepared can assuage the overwhelming fear of the future.

On campus, students have access to many resources through the Career Center, including mock interviews, career counseling and job listings online at DAWGlink.

"Sometimes getting started is the most difficult part of a job search," Williams said. "The more you worry and stress about it, the less you accomplish."

Keeping an open mind and a good attitude will help in the career search as well, said Lowery.

"I believe in never putting your eggs in one basket," she said.

The school lifestyle doesn't last forever, but the right job opportunity can add purpose, passion and a paycheck to adulthood.

You might even have time to perfect those bingo techniques before you're too old to enjoy it.

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