No doubt the internet is full of graduation advice right now, and maybe the world doesn’t really need one more post. However, as a person who has graduated four times now (we did not graduate from kindergarten and elementary school and middle school in my day…) I have a few thoughts I think are worth sharing.

A big part of my job is talking to students. That is also one of my favorite things about my job. While these conversations are often framed around a particular course or assignment, other questions like “what do I do after this?” or “what kind of job can I really get with this degree” come up in Zoom calls and emails rather frequently.

As we approached this busy commencement time, this year, I started jotting down what I think is some of the best advice I’ve shared over the years.

Be open to what other people see for you. Some of my best job experiences have been because I said “yes” or even “maybe” or “for now” to opportunities I did not see for myself or even think I wanted. Sometimes that leads to rich, diverse, valuable experience. Sometimes it gets us closer to our goals. Sometimes it helps provide a bigger paycheck. Sometimes it just shows us “wow, that’s not at all what I want to do.” But the chance to meet others, network, and grow in skills is important. Hearing people out does not have to commit you to anything. We do not always see the things we are capable of that others see in us. Stay open, hear people out, and maybe try something new.

Who you want to be when you grow up may change. Many times. I ultimately (for now) landed right back in teaching, which is what I most often wanted to be. But while I was growing up I also told my parents I wanted to be a cab driver, a hair stylist, a librarian2, a preacher, a paralegal, a lawyer…the list goes on.

So far I’ve been an administrator of nonprofits, managed student accounts, overseen HR and business operations, worked as a data analyst, taught part-time and full-time in universities, and managed 20+ people as associate VP for academic affairs. I am right where I’d like to be right now, but I am experienced enough at this point to know that doesn’t mean I’ll do this forever. Things change, opportunities open/close, life is hopefully long and varied.

None of us have to have it all figured out right now.

No one has it all figured out. People who act like they do? They are at best lying to you, but more likely also lying to themselves. None of us can predict the future, know with certainty all the things to come, or have all details of career, income, next steps, etc. sorted. Frankly, life might be a little boring if we did. Figuring it out as we go can be anxiety-inducting, but planning it all now and never being open seems scarier to me in middle age!

Calling is a real thing, but not everyone has it related to career and income. I’ve spent a lot of my adult life researching the intersection of calling, vocation, and meaningful work. Having done that mostly within a framework of faith-based organizations, I’m aware that there is a demanding focus on calling as it relates to career. Some of us are called to the work we do. I happen to believe I am. And yet, I have also taken jobs to pay the bills. I have counted the days until I could move on to something new and known something was not for me.

Calling, and especially for those of who have intertwined that with our faith, is bigger than just a job. For example, beyond our jobs, my spouse and I are confident that we are called to be caretakers to animals. Some are called to be parents. Some are called to be a specific kind of friend. Some callings are seasonal. The thing, is again, no one has it all figured out. (And honestly, when God gets involved, I think callings are often shared more slowly. God is used to humans not always being ready for the grand reveal!).

My best advice to anyone starting out as a newbie professional or reorienting after a recent graduation is ultimately this:

Be kind. Be honest. Be curious. Take care of yourself and those for whom you hold responsibility.

That’s the most important stuff about living in harmony with others, really. Be a good human to others, expect that you are treated like a valued human, too. Make the best choice you can with the information you hold at any given point.

Happy graduation and next steps to all who are on such a journey. You’ve got this!

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Adapted from an article originally written in May 2026.