Graduation Is Coming. Do You Know What Comes Next?

As graduation approaches, many students and recent grads find themselves asking the same questions:

What should I do after college? Am I choosing the “right” path? How do I move forward without making a mistake I’ll regret?

If that sounds familiar, you’re not alone.

According to NACE Job Outlook Surveys, many college seniors say they feel unprepared to make career decisions, and according to labor statistics, nearly 1 in 3 graduates change their career direction within the first two years. Parents see it too: talented, capable students feeling stuck not because they lack ambition, but because they’ve never been taught how to navigate uncertainty.

The Real Problem Isn’t Choosing the “Wrong” Job

We often frame post-college decisions as one big, irreversible choice. But research shows that the average person will change jobs 12 times over their career, and many will change fields entirely. The real risk isn’t picking the “wrong” first job. It’s defaulting into paths without clarity, self-awareness, or intention.

Most students are trained to succeed within structured systems — classes, grades, majors, internships. After graduation, that structure disappears overnight. Suddenly, they’re expected to make high-stakes decisions with limited real-world experience and no roadmap.

Why Care and Why It Pays Off

For parents, this stage often comes with worry: Will my child find their footing? Will they waste time or money figuring it out the hard way?

Pew Research and various academic career development studies show that graduates who take time to reflect, explore, and experiment early are more likely to report higher job satisfaction and faster career progression later on. Investing in clarity now can help avoid years of frustration, misalignment, or costly course corrections down the road.

You Don’t Have to Have It All Figured Out

Graduation doesn’t require certainty, but it does benefit from intention.

Whether you’re a student feeling unsure or a parent wanting to support your child’s next step, learning how to design a life and career is one of the most valuable skills you can develop.

A Better Way Forward: Design Thinking for Your Life

That’s where a different approach can make all the difference — design thinking.

Utilizing this framework, learn how to:

•           Identify what genuinely motivates and energizes you

•           Explore multiple career paths with confidence instead of anxiety

•           Turn curiosity into clarity and ideas into action

•           Build lifelong skills for navigating change, uncertainty and future transitions

This isn’t about finding one “perfect” job or locking into a single path. It’s about learning a repeatable decision-making process students can use throughout their lives.

If you’re curious to learn more:

•   Join an informational webinar on January 29

•   Explore a workshop starting January 27 or February 4

Register for both* here.

It’s a chance to slow down, zoom out and answer a question many people wish they’d asked earlier: how do I move forward with clarity, confidence, and purpose?

*The webinar and career coaching workshops are designed specifically for students and recent graduates navigating this transition. Led by Joel Stern, an experienced corporate recruiter who has hired interns and early-career talent across multiple industries, the program teaches students and recent grads how to approach career decisions and not just land a job.

Editor’s Note: This post was written in partnership with Joel Stern