life
UNIVERSITY? COMPLETED IT Now what?
BY MATT TRIAY
S
o young man, or young woman, “What is it you are going to do now?”. How often do we hear this sort of question, from an auntie, uncle, or your dog. The last thing you want to say is "I don’t know”, or worse yet just bark in response. It is great to have the answer, not only for this situation but for yourself. Direction is everything; knowing where we are heading and why is a comforting feeling whilst uncertainty breeds anxiety. There are the few lucky ones of us who are extremely sure of their purpose in life, whether it means becoming a doctor or an Ed Sheehan lookalike. However, I feel many of us will have a moment, a realisation that if we are lucky to recognise will be indicative of our career path. This lightbulb can turn on at fourteen years old, but it can also take a long while. 48
University is a part of this journey, figuring out where your interests lie. As a Gibraltarian, I and many others were lucky enough to spend 3 years or more working this out for free. There are not many eighteen-year-olds who are in as fortunate a position. There are about a dozen countries that offer free - or close to free – university courses, with Germany topping this list. So, what now? Even after 3 years of university there are many graduates trying to understand their place in the world. One third of your life, or 90,000 hours of your time, will be spent at work. Of course we care, but do we care too much? As a graduate finding work is difficult; it involves a lot of time spent on a computer, sending out emails, a lot of rejections and it also involves a lot of discussion with as many people as possible
There are many graduates trying to understand their place in the world. about their jobs, what their opinions are on different roles and industries, the pros and cons etc. One thing I can confirm is that everyone has an opinion on everything, a second is that all people are different, and a third is you alone will decide what you do and who you become. The first two go hand in hand. Taking advice from people on what to do is can be helpful, but one person may say working in sales is great, the next will tell you it is boring, one person will enjoy the targetbased performance others may GIBRALTAR MAGAZINE MAY 2020
