What Now?: In the Absence of the Ivory Tower

About this time of year, recent graduates around the world are feeling a void of activity in the absence of classes. Regardless of what we have graduated from, whether it be a liberal arts undergraduate degree or Law school, the future seems way too unplanned. Finishing graduate school is similar to a vigorous workout in which every yard line was barely met with frantic overdue deliveries of signed forms via digital drop boxes. This is not even taking into consideration the manuscript-length e-portfolio that I drafted for admission to graduate candidacy last semester.

Being enrolled in school leaves little time to worry about what career move will come next. While I knew that at some point I would have to move on to a professional position, this change lay safely in the realm of "someday" rather than "when??". Luckily, as a library student I maintained a series of relevant jobs throughout my entire three years. However perhaps unluckily, I have little excuse for putting off my application process for professional jobs now. The only excuse I have left really is the economy. Honestly though, I don't know how much the economy is really affecting my ability to locate a good information management position.

When I first graduated from the University of Redlands in 2005, I felt similarly disarmed. Similar to this summer, I wanted to take a few months to myself and to really consider what my next step was rather than just to jump in. In a way, the pressure was worse at that point because I really didn't know what I wanted to do whereas now I have a graduate degree that dictates the direction I am taking.

These days it takes much longer for people to come down out of the ivory tower and get accustomed to the "real world". While jobs come
and go, there is always the possibility of a second master's degree or a creative writing summer program at the Naropa Institute to look forward to. At least this is true for those of us who have traditionally sought refuge within academia.

Another frustrating aspect of graduation is that all the professional contacts and colleagues that I interacted with on such a regular basis while in school seem suddenly out of reach. I admit I did not get involved in professional organizations as much as I could have in school but now I am actively craving the discussion of library-related issues. I suppose it is true what they say that absence makes the heart grow fonder.