{"id":10543,"date":"2025-03-04T10:00:41","date_gmt":"2025-03-04T16:00:41","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/web.saumag.edu\/career-services\/?p=10543"},"modified":"2025-02-12T11:16:29","modified_gmt":"2025-02-12T17:16:29","slug":"whats-next","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/web.saumag.edu\/career-services\/whats-next\/","title":{"rendered":"What&#8217;s Next?"},"content":{"rendered":"\t\t<div data-elementor-type=\"wp-post\" data-elementor-id=\"10543\" class=\"elementor elementor-10543\" data-elementor-post-type=\"post\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<section class=\"elementor-section elementor-top-section elementor-element elementor-element-cd2acab elementor-section-boxed elementor-section-height-default elementor-section-height-default\" data-id=\"cd2acab\" data-element_type=\"section\" data-e-type=\"section\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-container elementor-column-gap-default\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-column elementor-col-100 elementor-top-column elementor-element elementor-element-e34f776\" data-id=\"e34f776\" data-element_type=\"column\" data-e-type=\"column\">\n\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-wrap elementor-element-populated\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-cc791e8 elementor-widget elementor-widget-text-editor\" data-id=\"cc791e8\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-e-type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"text-editor.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<p>The countdown is on &#8211; you are getting closer and closer to walking across the stage, shaking the President of SAU\u2019s hand, and celebrating with all of your friends and family. But as you hold that diploma in your hands, one big question awaits, \u201cWhat now?\u201d<\/p><p>Should you start your career immediately or pursue higher education? Both have their advantages and disadvantages, and the best choice depends on your goals, interests, and financial situation. Let&#8217;s explore the pros and cons of each choice to see which best fits you right after you graduate.<\/p><p>\u00a0<\/p><p><strong>Workforce:<\/strong><\/p><p>Pros:<\/p><ul><li>Financial Independence \u2013 Start earning a salary and gain stability.<\/li><li>Real-World Experience \u2013 Learn valuable skills on the job.<\/li><li>Networking Opportunity \u2013 Connect with professionals who can help advance your career.<\/li><li>Less Debt \u2013 Avoid taking on additional student loans.<\/li><li>Career Exploration \u2013 Gain hands-on experience to clarify your long-term goals.<\/li><\/ul><p>Cons:<\/p><ul><li>Limited Advancement \u2013 Certain careers require a graduate degree for higher positions.<\/li><li>Lower Starting Salary \u2013 Some industries pay more to candidates with advanced degrees.<\/li><li>Job Market Competition \u2013 Standing out as a recent graduate can be challenging.<\/li><\/ul><p>\u00a0<\/p><p><strong>Graduate School:<\/strong><\/p><p>Pros:<\/p><ul><li>Higher Salary Potential \u2013 Advanced degrees can lead to increased earning opportunities.<\/li><li>Advancements in Career \u2013 Required for certain fields such as medicine, research, and law.<\/li><li>In-Depth Knowledge \u2013 Gain expertise and specialize in your field.<\/li><li>Networking Opportunities \u2013 Connect with experts such as professionals, researchers, and professors in your industry.<\/li><\/ul><p>Cons:<\/p><ul><li>Tuition Cost \u2013 Graduate programs can be expensive and may require living in a different location.<\/li><li>Delayed Workforce Entry \u2013 It could take years before you start full-time employment.<\/li><li>Competitive Admissions \u2013 Some programs have limited spots and certain requirements to enter the program.<\/li><li>Burnout Risk \u2013 Extra schooling can be demanding mentally.<\/li><\/ul><p>\u00a0<\/p><p><strong>Ask Yourself:<\/strong><\/p><ul><li>Does my dream career require a graduate degree?<\/li><li>Can I afford graduate school directly after finishing undergrad?<\/li><li>Would gaining work experience first help me decide?<\/li><li>Are there different ways to advance my career?<\/li><\/ul><p>\u00a0<\/p><p>It\u2019s not a one-size-fits-all answer, only you can decide what is best for your future. Some students thrive in graduate school right after college, while others benefit from jumping straight into the workforce. No matter what path you choose, remember that your journey is just beginning. Take the time to look at your options, seek guidance from mentors, and trust your gut to make the right choice. Your future is full of possibilities, whichever path you take, success comes from dedication, growth, and perseverance. Whether you choose to continue your education or dive into the workforce, embrace the opportunities ahead with confidence. Stay open to learning, adapt to challenges, and remember that your career journey is not set in stone, you have the power to shape it.<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t\t\t<section class=\"elementor-section elementor-top-section elementor-element elementor-element-2f5f44a elementor-section-boxed elementor-section-height-default elementor-section-height-default\" data-id=\"2f5f44a\" data-element_type=\"section\" data-e-type=\"section\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-container elementor-column-gap-default\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-column elementor-col-100 elementor-top-column elementor-element elementor-element-af069e6\" data-id=\"af069e6\" data-element_type=\"column\" data-e-type=\"column\">\n\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-wrap elementor-element-populated\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-e2d7b9b elementor-author-box--layout-image-left elementor-author-box--align-left elementor-widget elementor-widget-author-box\" data-id=\"e2d7b9b\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-e-type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"author-box.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-author-box\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div  class=\"elementor-author-box__avatar\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/web.saumag.edu\/career-services\/files\/2025\/01\/37F_3B1_5881567_1412244496_5-200x300-1.jpg\" alt=\"Picture of Mallory Cain\" loading=\"lazy\">\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-author-box__text\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div >\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<h4 class=\"elementor-author-box__name\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\tMallory Cain\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/h4>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-author-box__bio\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<p>Mallory is the Career Services Specialist at Southern Arkansas University. She graduated from SAU in 2021 with her BBA in Marketing and with her MBA in 2023.<\/p>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>The countdown is on &#8211; you are getting closer and closer to walking across the stage, shaking the President of SAU\u2019s hand, and celebrating with all of your friends and family. But as you hold that diploma in your hands, one big question awaits, \u201cWhat now?\u201d Should you start your career immediately or pursue higher&#8230; <a class=\"more-link\" href=\"https:\/\/web.saumag.edu\/career-services\/whats-next\/\"> Read More<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1730,"featured_media":10545,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"_genesis_hide_title":false,"_genesis_hide_breadcrumbs":false,"_genesis_hide_singular_image":false,"_genesis_hide_footer_widgets":false,"_genesis_custom_body_class":"","_genesis_custom_post_class":"","_genesis_layout":"","footnotes":"","_links_to":"","_links_to_target":""},"categories":[29425],"tags":[76593],"class_list":{"0":"post-10543","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-blog","8":"tag-career-readiness","9":"entry"},"acf":[],"publishpress_future_action":{"enabled":false,"date":"2026-05-16 00:58:28","action":"change-status","newStatus":"draft","terms":[],"taxonomy":"category","extraData":[]},"publishpress_future_workflow_manual_trigger":{"enabledWorkflows":[]},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/web.saumag.edu\/career-services\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/10543","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/web.saumag.edu\/career-services\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/web.saumag.edu\/career-services\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/web.saumag.edu\/career-services\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1730"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/web.saumag.edu\/career-services\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=10543"}],"version-history":[{"count":3,"href":"https:\/\/web.saumag.edu\/career-services\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/10543\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":10630,"href":"https:\/\/web.saumag.edu\/career-services\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/10543\/revisions\/10630"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/web.saumag.edu\/career-services\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/10545"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/web.saumag.edu\/career-services\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=10543"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/web.saumag.edu\/career-services\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=10543"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/web.saumag.edu\/career-services\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=10543"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}