As a female recent college graduate with an Honors degree in Art History from a major university, I thought post graduation the world would be my oyster. I quickly deduced that the economy was still in a rough state and jobs were hard to obtain. Many of my colleagues and classmates decided to remain in school to get a higher degree in order to prolong entering the work force.

Despite my scholastic achievements and extensive resume, I have found the post-college transitional period incredibly challenging. Growing up in Generation Y has been fun and exciting at times, but also presents many obstacles that other generations did not have to tackle.




Our generation is expected to go to college and achieve high scholastic success. Post graduation we must find a job that will make us rich and famous by age 25. If you are a woman you must also maintain a family in addition to these other responsibilities without ever breaking a sweat. In a generation where everyone is a triple threat it is hard to stand out!

In reality, not all of us will make Forbes‘ “Richest People Under 30” list or be a multi-million dollar entrepreneurial mogul. The truth is that many of us have no idea what we want to be when we grow up.

Our generation should be called Generation Bomerage, because we are forced to move home after college because we are swamped with debt and the job market has rejected us for lack of experience. How can we get experience if no one will hire us?

So far the outlook appears grim, but the silver lining is that you are not in this awkward transitional phase alone. I found comfort in the article, “25 Things You Don’t Have To Justify To Anyone” by Chelsea Fagan. This article made me realize that these issues are generational problems, not just my personal plight. I want to highlight a few of my favorite items on the list:

#1: Your job. Yes, even if you’re working something that other people condescendingly term “not a real job,” such as retail or service. If you have a job of any kind in this economy, you’ve already won.

I have worked in retail for over 4 years, throughout college and post-graduation; many, people view retail as “not a real job”. Hearing people condescendingly comment on my job status and ask if I had received higher education was hurtful at times and made me question if I wanted to work in retail in any capacity.

After, a year of soul searching I came to the conclusion that the fashion industry intrigues me and appeals to my interests. So regardless of how people may view careers in fashion or other service related position, I am going to do what makes me happy. And you should too!
#8: Your income level, and what you can and cannot afford. If you are having trouble keeping up with friends because you are not able to spend as much as them, there is no reason to risk financial ruin to try and keep up appearances.

This point ties into the previous point in several ways; namely usually service jobs are low paying so if you work a service job you may not be able to afford certain luxuries that your friends can. It is better to be smart andconserve your money, by living within your means rather than trying to keep up with others.


#25: Not knowing exactly what you want to be when you grow up, even if many people would already put you in the category of “grown up.” If you are considering going back to school, or changing careers, or moving, or starting a family, or doing charity work — it’s all good. And none of it has to be followed up with a longwinded explanation about why it’s a good idea and they should believe in you. If you need to justify what makes you happy to someone in your life, perhaps you should ask yourself why you even care about their opinion in the first place. [viaThought Catalog]

In the words of Dr. Seuss, “… because those who mind don’t matter and those who matter don’t mind!” The people that love you will accept and support you through this transitional period.

Lovelies, what do you think about this article? What was your favorite point?