Recent talks regarding the potential of an economic recession hitting sometime next year have many college students shook.
Too many of us already find ourselves toeing the line between healthy skepticism and unhealthy cynicism when we calculate whether our future salaries will be enough to keep Ms. Sallie Mae from busting our kneecaps. Add a weakened job market to the equation and it can seem like the future is forcing us into bankruptcy with its unyielding hurdles.
However, just because the economy could get stagnant doesn’t mean you should as well. Regardless of how uncertain the future may be, it’s crucial to move forward with a level head.
Compare it to the anxieties you get before a big presentation. Knowing your material well and practicing it makes you feel more comfortable the day of. The same can be said of your entrance into the workforce.
It’s best to begin your preparations now, no matter where you are in your academic path.
As a freshman or even as a senior, it can be tempting to brush off resume building or networking as unnecessary right now. However, the confidence you build up from these interactions gives you better feet to stand on in the rocky job market. A competitive resume and attitude are essential now more than ever. It’s better to have a relationship with future employers now compared to next year when it may be more difficult to catch and keep their attention on you.
Goals are easy to make, but they require calculated efforts and sacrifices to obtain. It’s no secret that many SXU students don’t graduate on time, but the fact that they continue is admirable.
After all, life can be full of bull. As matadors, we must wave our red flags of well-laid plans away from its unpredictable headbutts. The bullfighting will get harder in 2020, so it’s best to start practicing and prioritizing now.
For some of us, this could mean holding off on graduate programs or other costly ventures.
For others, this could mean temporarily deviating from the career path we’ve always envisioned for a more economically feasible and stable job; even creatives have bills.
This doesn’t mean your dream job is unattainable, but simply that the time and place haven’t lined up yet.
Passion is a gift you should nurture even after your years at SXU. Anchor yourself to your passion and you’ll be able to view economic setbacks as what they are: unfortunate, but temporary.
Growth —be it personal or professional— can’t arise from stagnation.
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