Finished college now what ?

When you’re in the trenches of college you’re just trying to survive, not really thinking about the bills that are racking up. Or maybe that was just me not thinking! The holiday has been a time for me to reflect and it's kind of surreal that next year I will have graduated with my bachelors’ five years ago. There were some really nice opportunities upon graduation. I even worked as a staff accountant for two and a half years but what do, you do when you hit that what’s next block...

Graduation for me at the time was not filled with any dreams; it was more about going beyond and actually finishing college. With this one goal in mind one must admit there was some poor planning involved. I won't go into great detail but being 100% sure you read everything you sign is a must. I wish I could go back in time and give one of my financial advisors a piece of my mind because I'm now locked in a personal student loan that makes its own rules.

There is a great book that I used in my final year and it's a great tool for planning your next step. I'm currently reading it again because it was truly motivating and the winter months take me off focus. It's called career by design communicating your way to success by Sharon L. Hanna. It's a really well organized text that reminds you of the little things you forget about when building your career.

Getting a game plan for student loans

With any debt the first step is writing it all down and getting a clear picture of what is owed. There are a lot of options to consolidate, or most lenders have workable plans that might be right for you. I really enjoyed the customer service, website and process at my great lakes https://www.mygreatlakes.org/ I'm big on user friendly sites and this is one of them. I'm currently in the process of building the best beneficial repayment plan for me. I'm told by many that student loan debt is not a bad debt but it is a debt all the same.

Looking for a change

I'm very thankful for my current employer and the overall group of loving people. This is a top priority on my list. Finding a place that feels like home. If I have a panic attack when the alarm goes off it might be time for a change. A few companies I've heard friends rave about recently are listed below it's nice to hear about companies working hard to keep employees and encourage growth.

http://www.careers.citigroup.com/Careers/CitiFinancial

https://jobs-santanderconsumerusa.icims.com/jobs/intro

Another step is do your research, before focusing on the salary think long and hard about a place you don’t mind being for eight hours a day. My final thought would be nothing is final, we can reinvent ourselves. Don’t get stuck in a position and feel this is it for you. There is always a new you, you just haven’t crossed paths yet.

This was really just a fun way to admit that I don't know what my next step will be but I am pretty confidant it will be well worth it. I was really motivated by a TD Jakes sermon a few days ago on television. He was talking to his congregation about how bad do you want something. It made me think about if it’s accounting, or writing, or being a mother. My drive is the first step to success. I will need others to help me along the way but if I'm not 110% confident in myself, why would someone else back my brand. It's time for greatness...

© Alice F Spencer