"So... what's the plan next year?"

On May 17th 2023, I finished my last ever university exam and the brief spell of relief was replaced with an ominous dread. "What the hell do I do now?"

18 years of education finally draws to a close and a world of possibilities stretch before me and the rest of the French and Spanish students that love to talk about their year abroad a bit too much. For the first time, we're in full control... a terrifying prospect for all involved.

Since then, a flurry of Linkedin posts and half-drunk conversations have perpetuated this narrative that everyone except me has their lives together. "Dear network, I am so pleased to be starting my internship at...", "Incoming graduate trainee with...", "oh yah Bali will be just so lovely and I can't wait to find myself!". These quotes come from, what I like to call, the "Linkedin-merchants".

'Linkedin-merchant' (Defintion #1)

NOUN

1. An excessive user of social networking site Linkedin

My internal monologue: "They've just thanked a leader of a 10,000 person convention for their keynote speech and have 'Head of School' in their professional experience section. They are such a Linkedin-merchant

I imagine that part of my Liam Gallagher-esque superiority complex about this type of thing seems to stem from a place of jealousy, and it does! I'd love to have my life together and the inevitable foray into the corporate world can be massively fulfilling. This is not what I want to tackle.

All I'm saying is that we didn't all spend every waking hour applying for the Big Four and doing Google Garage courses. I am documenting my journey from graduate to "proper job" with the aim of reinforcing the view that you (and I) aren't the only ones with no plan and that, in fact, we will work it out.

Enjoy, get involved, join me in my delusion, I'm here for it.