The panic hits! You are suddenly a second semester senior starting to realize, “Wait, I have to find a job! I need to start making money! I'm not sure what I want to do!” Totally normal. The Washington Post found "only 27% of college grads had a job that was closely related to their major." And though some grads work all of college to secure their dream jobs, most have no clue what field they even want to be in. Does the anxiety ever end?

Maybe.

Fast-forward.

You are a recent post-grad in your new position. That old familiar panic starts to set in: “How do I feel about my job? Where do I see myself going? Do I even like what I am doing?” In a poll published by the Huff Post it was found "nearly 80% of workers in their 20s, said they want to change career paths." So if you aren't exactly loving your first job...it is completely normal.

The transition from college into 'the real world' is a learning experience. As a recent college grad myself, I thought who better people to ask than my friends? We're all in the same boat. So I spoke with 5 post-college grads to help us get a clear picture of what the beginning of their journey looks like and where they see themselves going in the future. It's nice to know all 5 grads have their own goals set, but are waiting to see where their paths take them-- one step at a time.

Emily K.

Last month I graduated from USC’s Annenberg School for Communication and Journalism. I studied Public Relations and minored in Communications in the Entertainment Industry. Just a few days after graduation, I began my job at Viewpoint, which is a public relations firm located in Beverly Hills. I’m currently working as a Talent Publicity Assistant. The job is exactly what it sounds like. I’ve been working at Viewpoint for about a month now, and every day brings something new. It’s hard to say exactly where I want to end up career-wise, but I could definitely see myself sticking to this path and eventually becoming a publicist. I could also see myself going down other paths in the entertainment industry. Only time will tell!

Zoe S.

I recently graduated from Lehigh University with a double major in sociology and women's studies with a minor in public healthy. Naturally, I had no idea what I wanted to do with that discipline, nor did I have any clue what skill set beyond college it prepared me for. As I proceeded through my college years, I got more and more confused with my own personal expectations post college. I did not know what I wanted to do. I could not envision where I belonged in this massive industry that is carved out for post-grad college kids. All I knew was that I wanted to be in a field that allowed me to interact with people. I love people; talking to different people, connecting with people, learning from as many people as I could. Yes, I would describe myself as a "people person," which to some might be a cop out, but for me it's my truth. I ended up being hired at this amazing company called ChowNow in which people are the focus of the business. We help business set up their online ordering, which may not sound so glamorous or stereotypically lucrative for a recent college grad, but that is false. Not only is it an amazing place to work with an incredible culture that cultivates strong, incredibly ambitious people, but, everyday, it is my mission as an account coordinator to interact with people. I never imagined finding a job that satisfied both my creativity and desire to belong to the growing "trendish" industry, while simultaneously allowing me to exercise my love of people, but, needless to say, I found the job that is absolutely perfect for me. Now, I have no idea where I'll be in 5 years from now or where I'm going in terms of big picture, but I know that I'm one step closer to figuring that out, and that is just alright for me.

Mackenzie H.

After recently graduating from The George Washington University I am now working as a Recruiting Coordinator at Publicis Health. Publicis Health is the third largest advertising network in the world, and first largest health network! I'm passionate about people and their careers, as a recruiting coordinator I pay an integral part of the Talent Acquisition process. Even though I'm just starting out, I see myself working hard to lead a Talent Acquisition team to facilitate growth and change within a health-based organization.

Nina B.

I just recently graduated from the University of Arizona with a degree in Elementary Education. For the summer I am working with a non-profit whose goal is to promote literacy for children coming from lower socioeconomic backgrounds and LAUSD schools. In August I will be starting a job as a teachers assistant in a second grade classroom. However, next year I hope to have a classroom of my own and eventually go back to school to receive my masters in Special Education. My future is very undecided, but for now that is the plan.

Emily P.

I just recently graduated from the University of Michigan. I am now moving to Austin to start my career at Facebook as an SMB Account Manager. I have always been fascinated with the interconnectivity of organizations through the shared purpose of helping others in their communities. I see Facebook as the perfect place to jumpstart my career as it is a platform for connecting people and organizations on a worldwide scale. I hope to continue to strengthen my knowledge of change management, practical development skills and positive leadership practices while gaining invaluable experience from the incredible people I will have the chance to work with. My ultimate goal is to strive for impactful change that has the ability make a difference on multiple levels - helping communities join together to change lives through corporate social responsibility.

Every person starts somewhere. Each person has their own individual journey. Hopefully the experiences shared by these recent college grads can help the rest of us feel a bit more at ease and accepting of our unknown paths.

Are you a recent grad in a job that you're MEH... about? Or maybe you LOVE what you're doing. We'd love to hear from you either way... Hit us in the comments below.