USM seniors preparing for life after graduation
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As the school year draws to a close, seniors at the University of Southern Mississippi brace for the future.
One of the most important aspects of life after college is starting one’s career.
“Hopefully you weren’t the type of senior who just went to class and went back home, but you were more somebody who got out, did stuff, met with new people, experienced new things,” said Andrew Hatch, a career counselor at USM’s Career Services office,“because that type of things-those types of experiences are going to be things that employers are going to want to look for in their applicants.”
Getting an entry-level job after college can be very consequential for a graduates’ future.
This year, the Burning Glass Institute and the Strada Education Foundation revealed that half of college graduates, 52%, are underemployed a year after graduation. The crucial point is finding a job out of college that is “college-level.” 79% of graduates who land a college-level job out of school remain employed like that 5 years after graduation. People who are underemployed after graduation are 3.5 times as likely to be underemployed than their peers.
Current and former students at USM can visit Career Services for resources on searching for and landing a job. This includes resume help, interview help, and finding a career.

Of course, not every student has the same path. SM2 caught up with two seniors, Heather Broome and Calais Bates, to discuss their future plans.
Broome is a computer science major. After college, she plans to continue her education by entering a PhD program. She eventually wants to start her own business as well.
When asked about why she chose this path, she said “I decided to continue to grad school, which I wasn’t planning to originally do, because I felt like the trajectory of personal growth and professional growth I’ve been on as an undergraduate here is still continuing and I don’t want to end that.”
Bates is an art major who plans to work either as an artist or artistic director.
“As of right now, I am not really anxious about anything,” Bates said. “I more so am excited about going home, synthesizing all of this newfound information, and beginning my career.”
Bates is still applying to shows and internships and plans to live at home for the time being.
“Talk to your classmates, your professors, your admin staff, the custodians in your buildings, everyone,” she added. “You always learn the most from the people that you least expect.”
Seniors who need help with career planning can visit Career Services or view their online resources. This includes Handshake, the Career Guide, and Focus 2.