For those still in college or fresh out of school, choosing a career path can be one of the hardest things they would have to do. The pressure is intense because they understand that they’re at a vital stage of their lives. One might even think that choosing the wrong career might make the rest of their lives miserable.

Thoughts like these are pretty commonplace—millions of graduates and college students are faced with the same dilemma and are often overwhelmed. However, times are changing, and there’s no need to feel so much pressure.

The First Job Doesn’t Have To Be The Last

One mistake many students and graduates make is to think their first job is the ultimate destination for their career. Many people want to work at the same place for decades, climb the ranks, and retire at an executive position. It’s a nice dream, and people are still doing it, but it’s going out of trend.

These days, it’s common for people to work four different jobs before turning 32, according to a study by LinkedIn. Flexibility is the new normal in a digital landscape that’s rapidly advancing and booming with agile teams, and people are under less pressure to stay at their position for decades.

Remote teams are the new normal, and employees are under less pressure to stay too long at a job. Source: Unsplash

What matters more to many employers now is the ability of new recruits to add immense value to their organization, not necessarily their prolonged stay. This trend is reflected in the increasing popularity of freelancing and contract jobs.

It helps to gain real-world experience instead of staying idle and stressing about the perfect opportunity. Source: Pexels

While it’s good to have job security and a long-term plan, for fresh graduates, there’s never a bad time to immediately start gaining skills and important hands-on experience through a paid job. It doesn’t have to last forever.

It’s Okay To Not Get It “Right” At The Beginning

One of the most liberating things for job seekers to do right now is to stop waiting and trying to decide on the right job. It’s smarter to just plunge into a career in which they feel the most competent, or at least a field they’re interested in.

The trick is to not go into the first job path feeling determined that it’s the final stop. That mindset is what gets people trapped and restrains their career growth.

Feeling the pressure to land the “perfect” first job can lead to frustration Source: Pexels

If it happens to be a great run on the first try, it’s okay to stay and grow in that field. If it doesn’t, there’s absolutely nothing wrong with quitting and immediately trying something new. Learning moves faster in this era of increased possibilities, making it easier to adapt to changes.