Reflecting on 4 years Post-College Graduation
It was 4 years ago from this week that I was officially finishing off my college career and graduating with a Bachelor’s degree from the University of Central Florida. With the COVID-19 pandemic still in full swing, it made for a very unique and non-traditional finish to what had been a 1 year journey at UCF and a 7 year journey with college education altogether. As I was sitting there during the virtual ceremony, awaiting to hear my name called, it was a feeling of relief, peace, and excitement for what’s to come.
Almost immediately after graduating, the big question from seemingly everyone in my vicinity was “What’s next?”. Being back in my hometown, which has limited job opportunities as it is even without the impacts of the pandemic, it was a question that I was still figuring out the answers to myself. And so I did what any rational and mindful person would do and got right to the job hunt, with an open mind and a willingness to explore whatever life had to offer.
The Right Spot
Fast forward to October of 2020 and I was sitting in the clubhouse of one of the premier golf clubs in the area, speaking with the Head Golf Professional about a position working out on the course. It wasn’t the kind of thing I had in mind whatsoever earlier that year pre-graduation, but with very few other options lined up the easy choice was to accept the position and get started in my new role.
It was a low-paying job working outdoors, but it did provide some nice amenities such as full access to the course and practice facilities, free food on the job, and free lessons from the club’s golf instructor. With that said, it was during this time that I started to put together a way of life that has defined the way I’ve approached things ever since. It’s very simple. Work when it’s time to work, keep expenses and overhead low, and spend the rest of my time either having fun or investing myself into activities that are likely to produce wealth in the long run. And that’s exactly what I did. I took walks on the beach during the week. I hit balls on the driving range as the sun set. I read books and wrote music. I took bike rides in the neighborhood. I reconnected with old friends and went out to make new ones. I met up with my grandfather in the afternoon to take walks out at the park, and met my grandmother for lunch out at her favorite restaurant. It was a simple life with minimal obligations, and provided a lot of space to focus on myself and my future, which I was extremely grateful for.
The golf course position lasted a little over 1 year before I eventually decided it was time to move on. With a new head golf professional running the show and looking to make a name for himself, the workload had significantly increased since the date I was hired, meanwhile the pay stayed almost exactly the same.
New Year, New Career
After leaving that position in the start of 2022 I took it as an opportunity to reinvent myself and head in a new direction. After spending the past year working outdoors and dealing with people I decided that a position that would allow me to work remote might be nice. After doing some research and talking with some of the people close to me I found out about the QuickBooks ProAdvisor program, and also discovered that with the right certifications you would make yourself eligible to become hired by Intuit as part of the QuickBooks team. After working hard all summer to pass the required courses, earn the necessary certifications, and develop the right skills I finally got a call from Intuit in late September saying that they would be interested in having me onboard starting in October to join their “Guided Setup” department.
Working for Intuit was a cool experience. It was my first time being in a “work from home” position, and it was definitely unique in that regard. I had a home office that I worked out of with dual monitors. I spent the days talking with clients over the phone, jumping on Zoom meetings, and going back and forth with my other team members on Slack. For lunch I would go out back to get some sun and be around nature. Before my shifts I would often times go out and have breakfast by the water at a local preserve, and in the evenings I would often go out to take bike rides or hit the gym. Intuit also provided a lot of cool benefits which was nice. Internet reimbursement, spotlight recognition rewards toward a gift card of your choice, full insurance, and also great holiday bonuses. But, with all that said, by early 2023 I found myself ready to move on from the position for various reasons. I had followed through and did what I wanted to do. I earned my certifications, landed the job, and worked the position. I had expanded my expertise on Accounting/Bookkeeping quite substantially, I’d had the opportunity to work from home like I wanted to, and I’d added feathers in my cap as a professional. In the weeks following my decision to leave, I took it as a win and an overall positive experience.
Beating the Streets
I spent the first few months of 2023 taking a break after my work at Intuit. After spending so much time at home, I really just wanted to get out and move my legs around. But after a few weeks of that, it was time to start looking for a new job. As I was looking, I kept myself busy in other ways. I upgraded some things with my living situation. I upgraded my home studio equipment. I went out and connected with friends as much as I could. I got out and did jobs on the side. But the dots just weren’t quite connecting as far as my work situation went. I went out and applied to places in person. I went in for interviews. Took tours, viewed backrooms, met staff. But when it came down to it I just couldn’t quite get a foot in the door. I made the money I had saved last as long as I could, but after over 7 months of being unemployed I was pretty much broke.
In October of that year, I ended up getting in to a bad car accident that put the job search on hold. I spent the next few months rehabbing my shoulder before finally getting back out on the job market in early 2024.
Better Than Ever
As I’m writing this now, I’m a little over 6 months of working my position at Do it Best Hardware, a local Hardware store here where I’m located. Working with hardware has been a positive thing. We all need a place to live, and if you are familiar with the products that are used in the process of repairing/renovating your living space, it’s just going to make things easier for you. It’s an all around good thing. Working at Do it Best has been nice because I know a lot of the people that come in to shop at the store. I’m constantly catching up with friends, greeting neighbors. and chatting with friends of family. Not to mention that the store’s location is actually close enough that I can ride my bike there, which has saved me quite a bit of money on gas and vehicle wear and tear. Do it Best is a reputable business, and I feel honored to be able to serve the community in a respectable way. I’m financially in the best position I’ve ever been in, and I can tell that my family is very proud of my progress and how well I’ve done.
The Moral Of The Story
The moral of the story is this: often times when we start new chapters, move in new directions, or start new positions, we have great expectations of what things should look like, what we “deserve”, and so on. Graduating college can definitely fit that description. After putting in the hard work in school, you may find yourself feeling like you “should” be working here, doing this, living there, etc. Whether that’s working a full time 9-5, earning a certain salary, having a certain job title, living in a certain type of situation, so on. For some people, that is the case. But, if that’s not the case, it is okay. Instead of walking around angry and feeling like you deserve better, be willing to take a seat at the lower table. Don’t overlook any opportunities at hand. Sometimes you may be so busy running out to try to work at the biggest and best place in town that you may overlook that there are quality places to work right in your neighborhood. Obviously, you didn’t bust your butt in college just to go back to being in the same position you were in before. But, recognize that you are sharp enough to maneuver your way through and make the best with what you have to work with, even if the position is temporary. It’s not all about having things put together in a finger snap. Social media may tell a different story. But if you run around trying to keep up with the Jones’ chances are that you will miss out on a lot of the simple joys and satisfaction that come to you when you focus on where you’re at with little expectation.
