A big question I get asked a lot – I want to start my own business or I have started my own business but should I get a job after college because I know it will take awhile to get my stuff off the ground?
Now I have experienced this exact situation so far and I have a couple ideas on what I think is a good strategy.
I have been out of school for 7months and have been working on my business but don’t have any other job yet. I am lucky enough to have parents that let me live at home thus no rent and free food so I don’t have many expenses.
My advice is take that summer after graduation off. Spend the summer letting loose and creating. I spent basically my entire summer on a porch outside drinking beer with a friend (MattWilson.TV) until 2am. This was probably the most creative and constructive summer of my life. Almost everything I am doing right now is a product of ideas and thoughts that originated on those summer nights. So I would recommend NOT getting a job for those summer months and instead relax and layout your business ideas. Or if you already have a business use those months to really push it over the top so you can get a better idea of where it might take you and what it will take to do that.
However as winter nears I would recommend picking up some work, personally I’m looking for part-time work. Right around November my personal funds began to dry up and I have since found myself struggling to get a few beers on a Friday night let alone go on a vacation somewhere South for a week. This has really begun to wear on me as I find it harder to get motivated to do things because the 20 degree days, dark at 5pm, cloudy skies, and sitting in front of my computer all day just begin to wear on anyone. I wish I lined up some kind of work starting maybe in November just to fund weekends and maybe even save for a trip to warmer weather. Also I think a job part or full time would help with being more social and just getting out of the house during these months.
I must say I’m not looking for a career in whatever job I end up with. But just something to help provide me with the stuff (money) that I need to do things I love (going out, trips).
So after that summer look into some kind of work. Even if you have a solid business idea the reality is it will likely take awhile to get off the ground let alone make you some money (many businesses take 2-3years to really get going). So just make sure you have the means to get out of the house and do some fun things over the long winter months.
