College Grads Get Ready for Work

April 24, 2006 — -- As college graduation approaches, we asked "Good Morning America" viewers to submit their career-related questions to us. In all the entries we received, there was a general theme of worry: worry about how to find fulfillment at work, how to land a job and how to make ends meet. ABC News workplace contributor Tory Johnson provides some expert advice on tackling those fears and launching great careers.

Question: I graduated in May 2004 and have been working for a year and half now. I should be happy that I have a well-paying job and great benefits, but after graduating with a B.A. in economics, I'm still not sure what I want to do with my life. I'm not happy with my current position, and I feel that the next step would be to go to graduate school. What is the next step?

Tory Johnson: While it's perfectly acceptable to want to pursue additional education, it's unclear why you believe going to graduate school would make you happier with your career options. How would an additional degree provide you with more satisfaction?

If you're not content with your current position, there are other options to consider. For starters, you can switch jobs! Try talking to your alumni relations office to find out what types of employers are hiring economics majors from your college. Ask them to connect you with former students who graduated your year and previous years with the same degree. Find out what they're doing professionally and see if it sparks new ideas about potential paths for you to pursue. That type of networking and exploration is wise before deciding to hit the books again.