JULY 19 — After years of studying, the day finally comes — you graduate.
You wear the robe, take the photos, and smile proudly with your scroll. But after the celebration fades, another feeling slowly creeps in: What now?
This is a question that has been stuck in my head lately. I see friends applying for jobs, some already working, others thinking about doing a master’s degree.
And yet, deep down, many of us still feel unsure. We studied so hard for this degree — but what if we can’t find a job in that field? What if we end up doing something completely different?
It’s easy to feel like you’ve failed if things don’t go as planned. But maybe that’s not the right way to look at it.
Maybe it’s not about following a fixed plan, but about learning how to adapt and move forward, one step at a time.
Some people have already done this, in their own way. Take Khairul Aming, for example. He studied engineering, but now he’s a successful content creator and businessman.
He started with simple cooking videos and turned them into something huge. His Sambal Nyet business is known across the country.
I’m sure he didn’t plan all this from the start — he just tried something, worked hard, and kept learning along the way.
Then there are people like the twin brothers Amin and Abid, who used social media to build their own brand.
They’re not working in a typical office job, but they’ve found something that fits them.
These stories show that your degree doesn’t have to decide everything. What matters is what you do after.
I know it’s not easy. Many of us feel lost because we’re not sure what we’re good at yet, or what jobs are out there.
Some might feel pressure from family or society to succeed quickly. — Picture from Unsplash/Joan Kwamboka
Some might feel pressure from family or society to “succeed” quickly. But we don’t all move at the same pace. Some people find their path early. Some take more time. And that’s okay.
Even if you’re not working in your exact field, that doesn’t mean your degree was useless.
You still gained knowledge, discipline, and experience. You still learned how to study, how to manage your time, and how to keep going even when things got tough. These are all valuable — in any job, or even in life.
I’ve come to realise that it’s okay to start small. Whether it’s a part-time job, an internship, or even volunteering — it’s still progress.
Along the way, we learn what we like, what we’re good at, and maybe what we don’t enjoy. That’s all part of growing up.
And with everything available online these days, we can keep learning new things anytime.
There are free courses, videos, and people willing to share their knowledge. You don’t have to wait for someone to give you permission to learn or start something.
To those who are asking the same question — “What do I do with this degree now?” — my answer is this: don’t rush to have it all figured out.
Take your time, try different things, and see where they lead. Your first job doesn’t have to be your dream job. Your degree is a starting point, not a final destination.
So don’t give up. You’ve already come this far. The rest, we’ll figure out along the way.
* Halima Saadiah is from the Faculty of Languages and Linguistics, Universiti Malaya.
** This is the personal opinion of the writer or publication and does not necessarily represent the views of Malay Mail.
