Posts in Career
FROM THE ARCHIVES: What to Expect When You're Expecting (to Graduate), Part I
FROM THE ARCHIVES: What to Expect When You're Expecting (to Graduate), Part I

It’s 7 pm. The white Christmas lights that are lined with postcards from my semester abroad and the ones that are wrapped around my headboard are twinkling against their respective walls. There are two kittens curled up on top of each other at the foot of my bed and I have set up camp in the chair that barricades me into my “reading corner.” I just finished a short story I was assigned in creative writing that dug its claws deep down into my writer’s soul and as I type a Bath and Body Works candle spits fumes of vanilla marshmallow out into the air.

I don’t want to leave. I don’t want to leave. I don’t want to leave.

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Graduation, Dreams, CareerChelsey SatterleeFeatured, From the ArchivesComment
FROM THE ARCHIVES: 9-to-5ing
FROM THE ARCHIVES: 9-to-5ing

Coming from somebody who feels suffocated in a turtleneck, I was not about tying myself down to anything. I can’t even buy a pair of shoes without feeling like I’m signing a contract with myself. There was no reason not to take the job really, since I spent all of the past year buying Tostitos and wine and was in no position to pass it up. But I wasn’t ready to give up the dream of traveling/writing/starring in my own television show, with the “I don’t belong in khakis and I want to be free” mentality.

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Career, TravelAlyssa VottoFrom the Archives, FeaturedComment
Go At Your Own Pace
Go At Your Own Pace

I know I’m not the only young person in this situation. So many people in their twenties, sometimes thirties even, are completely unsure of what they want to do with their lives—myself included. I’m used to hearing certain thoughts creep into my head, such as, “Why am I even here right now? Shouldn’t I have my own apartment, a job, and some sort of really amazing, glamorous life by now?” This especially happens after I see updates from my friends (and former classmates) on Instagram, Facebook, the whole shebang.

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Career, LifeAbby ProwantComment
FROM THE ARCHIVES: One Year In: 3 Life Lessons from That First Year of Post-Grad Life
FROM THE ARCHIVES: One Year In: 3 Life Lessons from That First Year of Post-Grad Life

Reflecting on the year, it bums me out to realize how hard I’ve been on myself. Whether that meant kicking myself for not living up to an expectation or kicking myself for being “too much” or kicking myself for not being enough, there was always a reason to kick. But the thing is, all we can do most of the time is try to exist as we are.

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Life, Graduation, CareerLane SasserFeatured, From the ArchivesComment
Self-Deception Is The Worst Deception
Self-Deception Is The Worst Deception

All of these self-deprecating thoughts caused me to have an extreme amount of stress and anxiety during the entire semester. I made each assignment more difficult than it actually was by reminding myself that I was not smart enough to do the work, which resulted in a ridiculous amount of late nights in the library and all nighters.

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Dreams, CareerOlivia DelVecchioComment
FROM THE ARCHIVES: What You Should Know About Waiting
FROM THE ARCHIVES: What You Should Know About Waiting

Over coffee one weekend, my friend poured out her thoughts in the vein of frustration with her first full-time gig after college. Her angst was stemming from the general discontent of routine and the initial feeling—3 weeks in—that her job was meaningless and seemingly dead-end.

As I listened, I felt the ping of familiarity with these sentiments—feeling discontent with the present and frustration of waiting for the future.

She asked me, “How long does it take for this to go away?”

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Relationships, Dreams, Career, LifeJulie BloomFeatured, From the ArchivesComment
FROM THE ARCHIVES: On Making Decisions When You Are Afraid LITERALLY Always
FROM THE ARCHIVES: On Making Decisions When You Are Afraid LITERALLY Always

I fear more than just speaking up in a coffee shop. I fear doing anything that may be slightly risky to my physical health, like white water rafting (trying to buy concert tickets when they go on sale is enough adrenaline for me, thank you very much). I fear disappointing the people around me – friends, family, co-workers, and anyone who has crossed my path ever, really (getting honked at is a truly sad occasion for me). I fear making decisions of any sort because WHAT IF I MAKE THE WRONG ONE?! (Cue the panic attack.)

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Life, Career, TravelAlly WillisFeatured, From the ArchivesComment
How to Handle Criticism Like A Pro
How to Handle Criticism Like A Pro

However, it’s also very important to realize that criticism is something that should actually be embraced, because it can be used to our advantage in so many ways. So while I can pretend to know what my classmates would say and then feel insecure about it, what actually matters most is telling the story that’s in my heart so that I can encourage you to be able to do the same. In my experience as a writer, I’ve come to find that the following three methods can easily turn you into a feedback-receiving pro, no matter what field you’ve chosen to go into.

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CareerBrooke SaffermanFeaturedComment
So, Tell Me About Yourself: A 3 Point Strategy to Answering This Interview Question
So, Tell Me About Yourself: A 3 Point Strategy to Answering This Interview Question

What I wasn’t prepared for, and one that I had only partially thought about, was talking about just me. Or at least, that’s what I thought I was supposed to do. It really is something that most of us tend to gloss over when prepping for an interview when so many companies are looking at your personality, or sales numbers, or what internship you did last summer (and yes, you should have an internship under your belt by the time you graduate).

After a multitude of interviews, reading several LinkedIn articles, and consulting with some former professors and bosses, here is a solid way to answer the question, “Tell me about yourself?”

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CareerPatrick BoyleFeaturedComment
Top 10 Most-Read Posts of 2017
Top 10 Most-Read Posts of 2017

We owe everyone who has contributed their stories at least a year’s worth of lattes as a token of our gratitude, but alas, this simple “thank you” will have to carry the weight of our appreciation instead. Thank you, thank you to everyone who has written for, read, and supported That First Year this past year. We exist because of and for YOU and we can't wait for what 2018 will bring to this community. 

Here are the top 10 most-read posts of 2017. Enjoy these stories from some incredible writers.

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Career, Dreams, Grad School, Graduation, Health, Life, Money, Our Favorite Things, Politics, Relationships, Style, TravelAlly WillisFeaturedComment