94 Days of Summer, Day 25: Kelly's Top 10 Activities for the Unemployed Post Grad

I’m happy to introduce our second summer guest blogger, recent Communication Studies graduate Kelly Sanders!

“Isn’t writing a short bio of yourself (an autobiography, I believe) far more difficult than it should be? To describe myself succinctly, I am a recent USF graduate with a not-yet-received degree in Communication Studies, with minors in Public Relations and Legal Studies. I am living in the Los Angeles area, searching for full time employment in the entertainment industry in some sort of PR/marketing capacity, while telecommuting for an AmeriCorps program in San Francisco and doing some online marketing for my brother’s new business (<insert shameless plug here> http://www.silverleafcs.com/). In my spare time I indulge in mildly unhealthy obsessions with the Disneyland Resort and concert-going (not necessarily at the same time), and I am both hopelessly in love with and allergic to cats (the animal, not the musical).

Graduate Kelly Sanders on her big day!

Twenty-five days have passed since I shook Father Privett’s hand and successfully navigated St. Ignatius in heels, but my lack of gainful employment makes me feel as though this is any other summer where I would typically visit friends and family in Los Angeles for a week or two before returning to San Francisco for work and an internship. However, a large storage unit in Pasadena filled with the contents of my former apartment tells a different story – I have graduated, and now I must be a full time adult. Wow. I always knew it was coming – looked forward to it, even – but typing it out really solidifies it and makes it scary. And I’m rethinking those student loans right about now. Yeesh.

In order to not be painfully pessimistic and frighten all of the incoming-Senior readers out there, I want to present you all with a list: Kelly’s Top Ten Activities for the Unemployed Post Grad! These are things to help you pass the time while you transition from student to professional. A mix of frivolity and practicality, there should be something in here for everyone, and I have personally practiced each of the ten items, with varying amounts of success.

Kelly practicing #1 on her list

Kelly’s Top Ten Activities for the Unemployed Post Grad

1. Ride a rollercoaster – nothing can make you forget about unemployment like a 255-foot drop!

2. Search for a job – you don’t wait to be unemployed forever, do you?

3. Read – I’ve started on Christopher Moore’s books (I’m three novels in, currently reading Bite Me: A Love Story) – I highly recommend him, and many of his novels are set in San Francisco, where he lives.

4. Clean – you’ve probably been meaning to do it anyway, and do you really have an excuse not to?

5. Troll graduation parties – many have free food and drinks, so grad parties are a good way to both celebrate and cut costs!

6. Beef up your LinkedIn account – ask for recommendations, because it can’t hurt to have a completed LinkedIn account during a job search, can it?

7. Catch up with friends from high school – chances are that many of them have moved back home and may also be looking for work. Form a support group or something.

8. Learn a new language – en este día y edad, ser bilingüe no puede hacer daño, a la derecha? (I’m still learning, pardonnez-moi if my Spanish is off)

9. Make your NetFlix account count – catch up on those shows and movies you’ve been meaning to watch but couldn’t find the time for during finals.

10. Write a blog entry for Speaking Of… – come on, all the cool kids are doing it.”

Thanks, Kelly! I couldn’t agree more (especially with #10). FYI: Kelly is one of our excellent students, and I don’t think she will be an unemployed graduate for long!