What Now? The Excruciating Gap between Graduation and Employment

It’s been almost a month since my university graduation. Yes. I am a recent broadcast communication graduate – a fresh prey for the hungry and aggressive industry out there. Nonetheless, I took things slowly despite the many people asking me when they would see my face on their TV screens.

It’s been almost a month since my university graduation. My friends have stopped posting their beach photos and instead, started posting status about how their first day at work was. To top it all, some were too proud to have updated their Facebook using their boss’ computer – wow. we have a badass over there (forgive the 9gag language) … Nah, the truth is, I am always proud to see a friend’s name on television program credits or in any newspaper or magazine that I read.

“You should not compare yourself to others when seeking what pleases you”

This is what my professor told me. Although she was referring about how I should deal with my thesis – about not panicking when the others have already completed theirs, I am quite sure that this phrase is still applicable in dealing with the time idle I have after graduation.

What to do after graduating?

Should I seek for employment right away or take a break after years of studying? What are my options?

I kept myself busy in getting a Masters Degree scholarship while waiting for our graduation day. I applied for the Korean Government Scholarship Program (KGSP/GKS) through our school and they forwarded my application to Kangwon National University. The said university failed to update us on whether we passed the 1st selection or not; so, I started looking for another scholarship. My school asked if I was interested with the ASEAN University Network (AUN) Scholarship which offers a Master’s degree in Korean Studies at Chulalongkorn University and Seoul National University.

It was very tempting. I wasn’t sure about passing the KGSP since I’ve heard that the competition this year was pretty tough. My school gave me a condition though – If I would apply for the AUN scholarship, I should forget about the KGSP even if I made it there or not. I had to decide in less than five days – that’s the deadline for the AUN scholarship application… Or, I had 2 weeks to wait for the KGSP final result.

That was, so far, the toughest decision making I’ve ever encountered in my adult life. To elaborate, I had been going to the Office of the Vice-Chancellor for Academic Affairs almost every night, talking to my former coordinator about it as if she were my psychologist or my guidance counselor. I weighed the pros and cons. First, it was about the universities… then my interests. AUN scholarship will lead me to top universities in Asia; however, if I chose this scholarship, my career track will change – from media to Korean studies. Although I could find some reasons to make these two paths cross each other – both are still different.

To make this long story short ⁠— I chose to follow what my heart desires. I set aside the AUN scholarship and started preparing myself for the two weeks of torture in waiting for the KGSP result.

•  April 30. expected date of KGSP announcement… postponed.
• May 1. KGSP results were posted at the NIIED website.

The long nerve-wracking tummy-jerking wait is over. I passed the 2nd selection of the KGSP! However, the semester will start this August and that will give me almost three months of idle time.

It’s been almost a month since my university graduation. My friends are now busy working… and me? I’m planning on visiting several islands in my country and blog about it 🙂

2020 Update: Should I get a Master’s Degree or a job?

It’s been nine years since I wrote the original blog post. I have successfully completed my Master’s Degree thanks to the Korean Government Scholarship Program (now called Global Korea Scholarship or GKS). After graduation, I was lucky to get a job in South Korea and spent a total of 8 years in the country. I left South Korea in 2018 to move to Australia – hopefully, to develop myself and career here.

Is getting a Master’s Degree after graduation a good choice?

No. And I wished someone could’ve told me about this. Studying for a Master’s Degree would have been more useful if I had even just a year of work experience in the field. Many of my classmates were professionals – some where TV broadcasters, producers, and CEO of their own publishing company – then, there’s me, an empty cup. During class discussions, instead of asking about the theories per se, my classmates would ask practical questions on how to apply these theories in their profession or business.

If you are planning to become an academic researcher who lives and breathes theories, then go ahead and dive straight to Masters after graduation.

Is studying in Korea a good choice?

On a personal level, yes. I was able to enjoy so much of its trendy contemporary culture, natural landscapes, and delicious food. South Korea offers so many (free) perks to foreigners, especially in the rural areas. Plus, if you look like a typical (sorry for the upcoming racist remark) White American, then expect to be treated like a VIP every time. You’d be surprised to end up on a TV show or Magazine.

On a professional or employability level, I would like to say not so much (Note: this is coming from a social science & humanities field – perhaps, those in the sciences will find it helpful). South Korea is still a foreign country in comparison to Japan. There is so much unknown to this country that many foreign employers don’t see any value of a degree from South Korea. It’s really interesting how they can go viral when Facebook, LinkedIn, or any other social media platform aren’t as popular as their locally-made socials like Kakao.

So, what now?

Don’t rush in making a decision.

You don’t have to decide right away. If you need an income, get a job but don’t let it eat you. Make sure that you know and love your next step. Remember, you need to be committed to your next decision. Some people marry their thesis, some end up confused, give up, and go home. If I could go back in time, I would have spent more time to be with my family. After getting the scholarship and eventually, a job, it has been very difficult to find the time to go home.

Don’t be afraid to try new things.

Do not limit yourself to things just because it is aligned to your degree. You will never discover your full potential if you let your fears or insecurities get ahead of you. Never underestimate yourself.

Don’t go to Korea just because BTS is there.

Like, seriously. Living, working, studying, travelling, or fan-girling in South Korea are very different from each other. 101%. I was also an official ELF (Super Junior fan) but it was not my ultimate reason for choosing South Korea as my destination of choice.

That’s it for now. If you find this blog helpful, drop a comment below or follow my Facebook page and Instagram @splurk 🤗