The Graduate Dilemma: “What Should I Do?”
If you’ve just graduated in summer 2025 and find yourself asking, “What should I do now?” — you're not alone. You’re in very good company.
Graduation can be a moment of pride and possibility. But it can also feel like standing at a crossroads with a hundred vague signposts pointing in different directions. Some people seem to know exactly what they want, but this is not always the case.
When I graduated, I did not know what I wanted to do. So, I decided to register with Reed Recruitment to start temping. This meant that I took on temporary projects in the corporate world and was able to try different areas of business. My projects included Data Entry, Office Administration, Reception, and finally, HR. My one-month project in the Recruitment team at Unilver turned into a one-year fixed contract in another area of their HR division. I loved it! (Especially the free ice cream and fabulous parties). That was 20 years ago and, so far, I’m not bored!
First, Stop Looking for the “One Right Path”
The pressure to figure it all out — your purpose, your perfect career, your forever job — is incredibly heavy for a time that should actually be more about exploration. The truth is: there isn’t just one right path. Most careers are squiggly, not straight. The best next step is rarely a final decision; it’s simply a direction that helps you learn more about what suits you.
Where Do You Start?
Here are some questions to ask yourself at the start of your job search:
What do I enjoy doing (even when no one’s watching)?
What environments energise me — fast-paced, structured, creative, collaborative?
What skills do I have that I’d like to keep developing?
What topics or problems do I naturally gravitate toward?
Where have I thrived before — even outside of academic or paid work?
Helpful Resources to Explore!
If you’re trying to match your interests with real-world roles, these tools can help:
Prospects Job Match Tool – prospects.ac.uk/job-match
MyNextMove.org (great for identifying career clusters)
The 16 Personalities Career Profile – gives insights into strengths and common work environments
LinkedIn Career Explorer – shows related jobs based on skills and past experience
Gradcracker – especially helpful if you’re from a STEM background
These can be useful as a tool to explore your options and become familiar with how your skill set might be perceived by a future employer.
Mindset Tips for Moving Forward
Don’t wait for clarity to take action
Clarity often comes after you try something, not before. Apply for internships. Volunteer. Take a short course. Talk to people in industries you’re curious about. Momentum builds motivation.Stop comparing your path to others’ timelines
Someone else’s corporate grad scheme offer doesn’t invalidate your decision to explore startups or freelance or take a role closer to home. You’re not behind — you’re building differently.Expect discomfort — but don’t confuse it with failure
It’s normal to feel out of your depth in your first job. Or second. Learning how to learn, and how to bounce back, is the real skill that sets you apart.Be patient, but persistent
Job hunting can be tough. Rejections happen. Ghosting happens. But that’s not a reflection of your worth — it’s often a reflection of a broken process. Stay visible. Stay sharp. Keep learning.
You Don’t Have to Get It Perfect — Just Get It Going
The best thing you can do this summer is start something. It can be great to have a part-time job whilst you look for something more permanent. Any job that you take on will start to teach you new skills and bring you a new perspective on your career opportunities. I believe it’s also advisable to have some work experience on your CV, even if you feel it is unrelated to the career job that you are aiming for. Transferable skills are so important, and it shows a future employer that you have an awareness of how to hold down a job, how to be punctual, how to work with colleagues - that might seem basic, but it means you already have an idea about the working world.
What hiring Managers are looking for is curiosity, commitment, and a willingness to show up and learn.
So the question isn’t just “What should I do?” — it’s “What’s worth exploring next?”
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