After a long and dreary winter, flowers are beginning to blossom, the weather is slowly changing, and seniors are beginning to think about life after graduating college.

This is the time of year when students begin to formulate a next-step plan once the celebrating of graduation has ended.

Whether it is having a few internships from the years past or even a polished resume, the fact that a student has some sort of preparation like an internship can help for the unplanned future.

Internships are a great tool for experiential learning in the specific field you wish to go in. Most jobs require experience before accepting someone into their workforce, so having an internship can be the difference between getting a job and continuing the job search.

“I’m looking at internships abroad where I can get field experience in conservation or marine conservation,” said senior biology and English double-major Makayla Esposito.

When asked about whether or not she had a plan for next fall, Esposito added, “I’m trying to focus on the things I love and the things that sound really exciting to me, instead of focusing on the big picture.”

Alternately, instead of jumping into graduate school or a specific career, this might be the best time to study abroad, take some time off and travel, or even just enjoy not having the obligation of working.

Senior biology major Matthew Dunbar plans on earning a master’s degree within the next few years but plans on taking some time off.

“Next year, I am going to be taking the year off working, probably not within my field, but also taking college courses at my local university to try and better my resume for graduate school,” said Dunbar.

His tentative plan for the summer is to move back home to Nova Scotia and work as a tree planter. Although his plan for the fall is not necessarily solidified, it is still a rough idea of the future.

If you do not seem to have a strong sense of direction for the future, there are plenty of online resources to use. Glassdoor is a popular website and phone application that has personal reviews of job interviews, so students can get a full grasp of what each job application and interview entails.

Some other websites you can use to better understand the job market are Indeed.com, Monster.com, as well as Careerbuilder.com.

The application process for jobs will most likely be quite frustrating coming right out of college because the job market will be saturated with recent graduates.

“Recognize (the job search) will take a while (because of saturation of the job market immediately after college),” said Assistant Director of Career Development Amanda Fontenot. “Be persistent, apply and set goals for yourself.”

Even looking on young professional networks like the ones suggested above will help you generate a sense of what to look for and what to have on your resume if you choose to go directly into applying for jobs.

With regards to the future, it would not hurt to have a rough outline of what you would like to do immediately after graduating.

But remember: life is not a race.

“It’s not about knowing,” said Fontenot. “It’s about getting in somewhere, starting something, and learning about yourself. (This) will help narrow down what you want to do.”

If you have questions, contact Career Development. To make an appointment, call 336-316-2187 or go to the main level of King Hall located in room 110.