I have one resolution for myself this year. This resolution seems simple, yet is easier said than done: Be Able to Financially Support Myself After Graduation.
What follows is my seemingly easy, five step plan to achieving my resolution. The plan to execute this resolution also appears simple, yet some steps are a bit more complicated than others.
If you know someone who is graduating from college or has a son or daughter graduating this year, share this with them on email, Facebook, or Twitter.
Urbandictionary.com defines New Years Resolutions as “the things you promise your self you will do over the year, but quit after the first 2 weeks.” Personally, I have never been one to make resolutions for myself to try and keep when a new year comes around because of the truth in this definition. I’m sure many people can relate to this mindset.
However, this year will be different for me because I will be making a resolution that I have no choice but to see through. I will be graduating from college in June and will face all the responsibilities of being an adult after I walk across the stage at graduation. I will have to take on the daunting task of paying for everything from rent to groceries to insurance to car expenses and so on and so forth. Throw in the fact that the economy is in the toilet and you’ve got a recipe for one extremely stressed out, panicked soon-to-be college graduate.
Here are my steps to achieving my resolution.
Start Saving Money Now- In order to be able to afford rent and a down payment on an apartment as well as insurance, gas, groceries, etc., I will need to start saving money immediately. With a part time job that only brings in a couple hundred dollars each month, saving up enough money to be able to get myself started on my own will be difficult at best. I will have to create a budget in order to monitor my spending while I’m in school so that I can attempt to stash away some of the cash my parents so generously give me to get through the quarter.
Graduate- Obviously, my resolution goes down the drain if I don’t get my degree in June. As I implement the other steps in this plan, I will continue to work hard to get the grades I need to graduate.
Read Anything I Can Find on Job Hunting and Careers- As nerdy as this sounds, I plan on reading every career advice or job hunting book, article, blog, etc. that I can find. Taking advice from people who have been where I am should help me hone my interviewing skills, make a resume that stands out, and ultimately help me get a job.
Build My Network- Many people believe the saying that it’s not what you know but who you know. In order to find job opportunities and have a better chance of getting hired, I will have to expand my contact list.
Get a Job- This is probably the most difficult thing for recent college graduates to do as a result of the economy. With such a high unemployment rate, getting a job is a daunting task. In order to pull this off, I will need to make myself more marketable by getting work experience as well as start my job hunt immediately. Hopefully by the time I graduate, I will have a job lined up and will be on my way to getting a paycheck that will enable me to financially support myself. With a ton of hard work and a lot of luck, I hope to pull this step off.
New Years resolutions can be hard to keep, but if you create a plan to help yourself keep them, they are possible to achieve. While my resolution seems almost impossible to me right now considering the current state of the economy, I know that if I follow my plan and work hard, I will be able to follow through on my resolution.
Happy New Year!!!
