It’s no secret that our economy is in rough shape. Lay-offs are common talk at the lunch table and family budgets are shrinking. Generation-Y is going to be facing one of the most grueling job markets in America’s history. In case you didn’t know, “Generation-Y” is you. The worst thing you could do right now is get a part time job and start career searching in your last six months before graduating.

Here is the good part, you’re young and in college.

College kids aren’t afraid to try a plethora of alcohol concoctions so why can’t you do that with careers? Spend a good amount of time trying new careers in college. You don’t have to end up locked into one job because it’s the only thing you know how to do. Find something you’re interested and go for it. Talk to a mentor or someone in your desired industry. I know most majors require students to complete some sort of internship their last semester but it’s bad a idea to wait that long. Once you find something you like, find internships and apply for them in the summer. I don’t care if you don’t “meet the requirements” because you’ll likely get in if they see you’re showing initiative and desire to learn.

Trying more career paths in college will give you a better chance of discovering something you’re wildly passionate about.

I’m not saying to try everything, only things that interest you. If you try it and it’s not for you, then check it off. I’m sure you know someone older (in some cases, our parents) who took the first job they got out of college and are still there 20 years later. They hate their job but they don’t think they can make a career change this late in the game. Trying new career paths early on will help you choose the one that makes you happy.

At the end of the day, do something gratifying, don’t jump at the first job with a salary. You probably won’t start out with a huge salary anyway, so you might as well like what you do. Even then, don’t be afraid to get out and switch careers right out of college. Job hopping will only open up more opportunities because your number job skills will be increasing. It’s already hard enough to find a job out of college so start early and change it up until it’s personally gratifying.