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During college, I had always assumed that the process of finding stability was a fairly straightforward formula:
get a real job after college = make money = feel stable
Simple, right?
As it turned out, becoming a graduate and getting a job didn’t make me feel like a stable adult. Shocking.
So how long does it take to achieve stability, exactly? For me, I had to find balance in a few areas:
Financial
It’s hard to feel stable when you’re living paycheck to paycheck—it takes time to build up an emergency fund and learn how to manage your money.
Social
I moved to Chicago knowing next to no one. It helped to start out by meeting others in the same position as me through Young PRSA events, but it took at least six months to a year before I felt like I had a really close group of friends that I could call up at any time.
Work Life Balance
It takes time to adjust to a working environment and schedule after college. This is probably the most difficult transition, especially given the unpredictable nature of agency life.
Not to mention emotional stability, relationship stability and finding a comfortable place to live.
And since this is clearly different for everyone, I thought I’d ask a few others for their thoughts on how long it took them to feel “stable” after graduating college.
“Not until my mid-20s after I got some good corporate experience and knew what I wanted”
—Kristen
“Haven’t gotten there yet…”
—Dan
“For some reason, I associate stability with complacency and try to avoid even after 4 years in the “real” world that is Angelosland”
—Andy
“It took me another eight years after undergrad to decide on grad school. now I’m two years out and I’m still not there yet”
—Siobhan
“Not until we moved to Chicago from New York, paid off credit cards and built an emergency fund. Salary < financial intelligence”
—Sean
“I felt pretty stable a year or 2 after I did, but since I moved [to Chicago] things changed a bit”
—Maggie
“Haha I’ll get back to you on that one! Still working on it ”
—Emily
“This is going to make me sound old fashioned, but I didn’t feel financial stability until I got married. My jobs have been shaky”
—Erin
“It’s weird. I feel settled in the fact that I love Chicago, but I still feel v. unsettled b/c I want a FT job and a place of my own”
—Molly
If you’ve graduated, how long did it take you to find stability (if ever)? If you’re still in college, what are your expectations about finding stability after graduation?
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Comments
07.01.09
Do you want to feel stable? I know financially, that would be great, but stability in your career and social life creates routine, which hampers dreaming and ambition. Trust me, a little stability in my schedule would be nice, but having adventures everyday, meeting new people, traveling and looking forward to what tomorrow brings is something that helps me wake up in the morning. What's to say we want stability.
07.01.09
3 years out of college and I'm still not close to being financial stable. 8 months ago I was laid off and forced to start over since I could not find another position in my field. Since I'm doing multiple internships while working a couple of part-time jobs to make ends meet, financial stability is still a dream.
However, creatively I'm in a way better place than ever before due to my goal to keep push myself. Socially, it could be better. In 3 years, I haven't expanded my circle much as I should have but, hopefully that will change in the future.
08.11.09
people can is hard to be stable financial wise after college that i quite agree with all,but all the same while in college i believe that is the time you have to start thinking about what is called life after school.
define your path and work with God he will surely direct you sometimes it may not be the certificate you got that you may use, something is waiting for you to start off with.
let start something small someday is grow to be a giant you will never think off.
03.19.10
than ever before due to my goal to keep push myself. Socially, it could be better. In 3 years, I haven't expanded my circle much as I should have but, hopefully that will change in the future. annual report design | logos design | envelopes design
03.19.10
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09.29.10
You made some good points there.I did a search on the topic and found most people will agree with your blog.Thanks world of warcraft accounts
11.22.10
It takes time to adjust to a working environment northface outlet and schedule after college. This is probably the most the north face outlet difficult transition, columbia outlet especially given the unpredictable nature of agency life.
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