Table of Contents
Advance Praise for Life After College
College is easy: you get a schedule of classes and a four-year
plan. Life is hard: you have to make the plan yourself. Thankfully,
Jennys book helps you make the plan, with plenty of time for both
career and life itself. Jennys great book lives up to its hefty promise
read it to get what you really want. Dont wait!
Chris Guillebeau, Author of The Art of Non-Conformity
Jenny Blake is an overwhelmingly positive voice for the Millennial generation. Here is someone who is working her way up the ladder at one of the most prestigious companies in the world while pursuing her dream. Read this book, become Jennys friend, and be privy to all the life skills and knowledge she has learned along the way...in Twitter-sized bites!
Alexandra Levit, Author of New Job, New You: A Guide
to Reinventing Yourself in a Bright New Career
I wish someone had given me this book twenty years ago!
The wisdom and maturity behind the tips and insights in Life After
College are simply mind-boggling coming from a twenty-something
author. Jenny Blake has written a guide to life that would enlighten
and equip anyone, not just college students. What a gift this book will
be to anyone who is lucky enough to read it.
Dr. Susan Biali, M.D. Wellness expert, coach,
international speaker and author of Live A Life You Love:
7 Steps to a Healthier, Happier, More Passionate You
Jenny was once my coaching client, and now her book is coaching
ME. Yes, even experienced coaches can benefit from the back-to
basics self-examination that Life After College requires of its readers.
The book is chockablock with tips, exercises, anecdotes and ideas
that can help anyone create an independent, happy, fulfilling life.
Ruth Ann Harnisch, President of The Harnisch Foundation
and Founder of Thrillionaires.org
Life After College is less a book than a compass.
Its also an interactive pep talk, a plan of attack
and a treasure trove of razor-sharp advice.
Phil Villarreal, Author of Secrets of a Stingy Scoundrel
This is your real lifenot a practice life. Its important
to stop for a moment to think about what really matters to you,
what lights you up, what you truly want in lifeand then to
design a roadmap to that future. Jennys book is that roadmap.
She helps you explore your unique genius, gives you fast-acting
strategies and innovative exercises and shows you how to make
your personal and professional dreams a reality. Most people
spend more time planning their vacations than planning their
lives. Miracles will happen when you follow the inspiring
and practical advice Jenny offers. Give it as a gift to
everyone you know who wants to get the most out of life.
Barbara Fittipaldi, CEO of Center for New Futures
Jenny Blakes Life After College should be called
The Rest of Your Life After College. Its the smart, useful get-up
and-go guide we all need to not only live big, but to live better.
Kevin Smokler, co-founder of BookTour.com
A book that solves all your lifes problems
and gives you a big wet kiss afterwards? AWESOME!
Neil Pasricha, Author of The Book of Awesome
To my family
thank you for always encouraging me to dream big,
and for helping me believe that I am capable of
anything and everything I set my mind to.
Introduction
THERE IS NO MANUAL FOR THE REAL WORLD. IN high school and college we have teachers, guidance counselors, and course requirements. But the minute we graduate it seems we are immediately expected to understand where to go, what to do, and how to get wherever were going nexteven when we have no clue where next is.
For the first time in many of our lives, we feel paralyzed without a defined road mapor without any clue how to create one.
This book represents the road map I pieced together along my own journey. It is a collection of my personal experiences and tips, helpful exercises and resources, as well as quotes and advice from dozens of college graduates. It is designed to help you focus on the BIG picture of your lifeyour hopes, dreams, and highest aspirations. It is a jumping-off point to help you start creating the life you really want, and will encourage you to think outside of the box as you also learn practical tools and systems to navigate through your life after college.
ABOUT MY LIFE AFTER COLLEGE
My life after college started earlyone quarter into my junior year at UCLAwhen I got the opportunity of a lifetime. I took a leave of absence from school to help start an online survey research company with my political science professor and mentor, along with four other college professors. I was the youngest employee (by at least 15 years) with very little work experience, save for a few internships I had in college.
I had tremendous responsibilities at the start-upfrom office manager to webmaster to marketing assistantand l loved the confidence I got from working hard and learning so much every day. But there were also many times I felt isolated, lonely, and lost. While I was struggling to understand health insurance, my 401(k), and how to be a good employee, my friends were still partying and taking finals. I got pangs of jealousy when I heard about how much fun they were having, and questioned whether I had made the right decision (even though I knew deep down that I had).
So I read, I researched, and I set goals for myself. I became a student of personal finance, time management, organization, productivity, business, leadership, personal growth, goal-setting, health, and happiness. I read more than 150 development-related books and took courses in all of the above.
During my second year at the start-up, I returned to UCLA for one last quarter to finish school and graduate with my class in the Spring of 2005. At that point, I felt compelled to share the many resources and tips I had accumulated with others who might be as lost as I was, so I started a website (LifeAfterCollege.org) that I turned into a blog two years later.
A shining success story, right? Except that I was about to be blindsided by my very own quarter-life crisis.
Motivated by achievementa blessing and a curse.
I have been motivated by achievement my entire life. And for the most part, it has worked very well for me. I started working full-time at the start-up company when I was 20 years old. I finished my degree from UCLA in three years with a double major and college honors.
By the time I turned 25, I had moved up the ladder at Google, completed training to be a life coach, become a manager, and tackled some of my biggest personal life goals, including running a marathon and buying a house, all while building and growing side projects like my blog and this book. And if this seems like a ridiculous list of achievements that only the foolhardy would attempt in this short period of time, you would be right. I hitno, slammed intoa wall... hard.
The quarter-life crisis knocked me off my turbospeed treadmill right on cue. As soon as I turned 25, I realized I was utterly exhausted. I didnt know how to maintain the same cycle of achievement, and I became incredibly sad and tired. I knew I couldnt maintain that frenzied pace for the rest of my life, but when I thought about stepping off the fast-track, I panicked. It absolutely terrified me because achievement was all I had ever known.