NAVIGATING: Navigating the Post-Graduation World Mid-Pandemic

By: Parker Stephen Nolan

Navigating Through COVID-19 Sucks

The whole world has been in a state of constant-navigation in the wake of COVID-19. New variants, changing safety protocols, and the countless unknowns of a global pandemic have forced us all to re-calibrate time and time again. Quite frankly, it’s been exhausting.

I think the exhausting aspect is especially true for many students and recent graduates. However, I also recognize that it is not a competition to debate who has had it the worst. Every human has made sacrifices and faced incredible challenges while navigating their way through the past two pandemic-dominated years. Students and grads, though, did (and do) have it rough.

Many of my college friends were a year ahead of me. I lived with three roommates, all of whom graduated in the inaugural “COVID class” of April 2020 with arts-focused degrees. They knew they had some serious navigating to do as they prepared to leave school and enter “the real world.” 

Pivot, and Keep Navigating

The results? I watched my friends put everything they had into finding jobs mid-pandemic. They worked nonstop to find employment outside of the arts, knowing they would have to wait for the world to recover before setting their sights on the creative industries. I tried to console them in the face of repeated rejections, and encouraged them to continue navigating their way through the current state of the world. I could see their frustration, disappointment, and exhaustion.

The worst part about watching their efforts to navigate job searching was that none of them landed what they considered an “ideal” post-graduation job. Really, none of them got close. They were all eventually forced to settle with whatever offer came along just so they could pay their bills. Each has continued to drift from job to job since, slowly moving closer to the positions they actually desire. Their perseverance and patience has been inspiring. 

A Daunting Task Ahead

At first, watching them navigate with very little payoff made me terrified to graduate. I didn’t want to go through the same struggles they did, but seeing their small victories after months of hard work and sacrifice was reassuring, even though they were still not quite in the place they wanted to be. If anything, I benefited from watching them. I was prepared for the constant, at time excruciating, navigation it would take for me to find work and “success” post-graduation.

Thankfully, and I recognize how privileged I am to be saying this, I was fortunate in finding several short-term internships and job opportunities post-graduation. There was still a lot of hard work to get me to those opportunities, but I’m incredibly grateful to be where I am today.

Supporting the Navigators

Students and recent graduates are stuck navigating in ways that many can’t even imagine due to the continued effects of COVID-19. Virtual classes, strained support systems, and the fear of what’s next (especially after graduation), can be crippling. Supporting students and recent graduates, whether you’re a friend, family member, coworker, or prospective employer, continues to be vital. They’re working extremely hard to navigate their way to small victories, and beyond. Be kind, and let them know they have your support if and when they need it.