Graduating with a science degree is supposed to feel like a win. Instead, it often feels like standing at a crossroads with zero signboards.
You don’t want academia. You’re not drawn to years of research or a PhD track. But outside the lab, every “entry-level” job somehow requires 1–2 years of experience. How was I supposed to get experience as a full-time student?
So you up-skill via certifications, online courses, internships which are usually unpaid or underpaid. You build a CV that looks proactive. Still, the response is the same: “We’re looking for someone with experience.”
You’re told skills matter more than degrees. Yet even with skills, you’re stuck in the experience paradox. Meanwhile, you’re financially dependent, explaining your “plan” to people who think stability is linear.
Then comes the safest suggestion: another degree. MBA. MPH. Data science. Something practical. But is it aligned with what you want or just a socially acceptable way to delay uncertainty?
A science degree teaches you how to think, but not always where to go. The gap between graduation and clarity can feel isolating.
So the real question is: are we actually lost or just navigating a path no one clearly mapped out for us?
This hits deep because it captures the ‘post-degree paralysis’ so many of us feel. We spend years chasing the paper, only to realize that a degree is a compass, not a map. It’s okay to feel lost for a moment—that’s often where the most authentic career paths actually begin. Keep pushing, the direction will find you as long as you keep moving.
Very relatable post! I think the education system, especially for graduates, is outdated; instead, the focus should be on skill building that paves the path for us so we don’t suffer from finding the right career path.
It can be both—either we are lost or we are going on a blind track. After graduation, everyone has difficulty in choosing their PG, and just by doing PG, no one is sure of the job opportunities. There should be a set roadmap to all possibilities of various fields, and it should be made available to the students to have an open mind.it will be helpful to them to have a right track before them.
Maybe the problem isn’t confusion, but the lack of structured guidance after graduation. Important reminder that career paths today are evolving, not predefined. Very well said!