We are already halfway of the last term of the year, which for third-year students means finishing their thesis and that IBCoM is slowly but surely coming to an end. But what to do after graduation? That is a very good question, and perhaps one that many (myself included) have been postponing to answer for quite some time. Here are several things you could do.
First of all, you could do a master straight away, which is what I have decided to do. While you do not necessarily need a master, it does expand/focus your knowledge on the area you find most interesting and may make you a more suitable candidate for certain jobs. Of course, you can never really know for sure what you want to do / will be doing later in life, but it’s never wrong to gain some additional knowledge. And, if you know that you want to do a master but have no idea which one, you could always do one years later when you have a better overview of your interests and aspirations.
Another option is going straight to work. You could find a full-time job, but you could also work multiple part-time jobs or do internships if you want to expand your work experience and/or discover where your interests/passions lie. It is pretty hard to find a job that you would actually want to do your whole life. It is great if you do find one, but it’s good to know that you don’t have to – if you end up not liking your job or feel under challenged, you can find another one that suits you better.
Something else you can do is take a gap year, or years, to travel. Of course, you need (financial) means in order to do that, but you could take a (part-time) job if you’re staying in a country for a longer period of time for instance, and I believe it would be worth the experience. Not only will you discover new places and cultures, but you’ll also have time to reflect on yourself and your surroundings. Also, if you’re not sure what you want to do in life yet, this may be a great opportunity to reflect on that and find out more about your interests and passions.
All in all, there are a lot of different roads to take. You can probably never be 100% certain that the decision you are making is right (as with all decisions in life), but as long as you are feeling good about the decision, it can never really be a wrong one. Even if you end up not liking the outcome, you have learned from the experience, and you can just change direction. So, the lesson here: no need to worry 😉
Good luck!
Writer: Marit van der Kwaak
Editor: Phoebe Elliott
Visuals by: Isabella Restrepo