For most college seniors, the final year of undergraduate school is spent scouring for jobs in the dreaded “real world.” Students obsess over landing the job of their dreams; the job they have worked their entire college career to get.
But for senior Jaclyn DeVincent, finding a job for her post-college life had not yet crossed her mind. Unlike the majority of her peers, DeVincent has other plans, plans that do not include getting a job right away.
A double major in Chemistry and Applied Mathematics, DeVincent was no lazy student. She worked as an ELITE consult (Emerging Leader in Technology at Elon) and served as the team leader of training and development for this academic year. DeVincent also worked four semesters as a laboratory assistant for Elon’s Chemistry Department. In her four years at Elon, she was able to complete undergraduate research in both Mathematics and Chemistry and was given the opportunity to present her chemistry research on the electrochemiluminescent quenching of TNT at the National American Chemical Society’s annual conference in San Diego this past March.
But despite DeVincent’s impressive academic achievements, she has chosen to follow a different path.
She’s taking a year off school after graduation.
“In the fall, I will begin applying for PhD programs in Chemistry, likely Inorganic or Analytical Chemistry,” she said.
Like many students majoring in the sciences, DeVincent has aspirations to attend graduate school. She explains that taking a year off will allow her to take a mental break from the rigors of college as well as enable her to focus on planning her upcoming wedding.
“On June 25, I’m getting married,” DeVincent said. “Crazy? Yeah, I know. I’ve been engaged for over a year now, and my fiancé and I are so excited.”
DeVincent’s fiancé graduated from the University of North Dakota last August with a Bachelor’s degree in Commercial Aviation. He recently accepted a job with a regional airline but is still unsure of where he will be located. Though the couple plans to move briefly to North Dakota after the wedding, DeVincent says that this uncertainty played a role in her decision to not look for a job.
“I’m not really sure where in the U.S. I will be living,” DeVincent said. “If I applied for a job in my hometown or in North Dakota, there would be no guarantee about how long I will be able to stay in that city.”
Despite her decision to not look for a job, DeVincent knows she made the best decision for her. With marriage a couple of months away, and the prospect of graduate school in her future, accepting a job she would not be able to fully commit to did not seem logical or ethical.
“I felt it was better for me to abstain from employment instead of flaking out of a job after a few months,” she said. “I also did not want a job to detract me from going back to school.”
Landing a job immediately after graduation has always been the expectation for college students. Students are pressured to apply for jobs and are often made to feel inadequate when they haven’t secured a position before they graduate. For the most part, DeVincent has received nothing but support for her decision from friends, family, and faculty. But, since taking a break after graduation is considered a societal taboo, she has experienced hesitation and concern from some.
“I still get warned by many to stay focused and go back to school,” DeVincent said. “I think they’re afraid that after I take a break I will no longer want to return.”
But receiving a quality education has been a top priority for DeVincent. Earning a PhD has always been a lifelong goal as it would only further her career. Her ultimate goal is to become a specialized chemist before she even considers searching for a job in her field. For students in the sciences, graduate school is a common first step before starting a career in the workforce. DeVincent emphasizes that every undergraduate follows a different path, and that it is acceptable to do what others aren’t.
DeVincent is incredibly excited for her friends that have been offered jobs immediately after graduation. “I am so proud of them,” she said. “I think it is an exceptional accomplishment and it should be well celebrated.”
Even though DeVincent is happy with her decision to abstain from immediate employment unlike many Elon students, she sometimes wishes she had a different response when asked about her post-graduate plans. She says everyone responds differently, but the reactions generally go one of two ways.
“I’m either congratulated or lectured,” DeVincent said. “Adults who got married out of college, or those with similar backgrounds, generally share their stories and excitement for me while the rest lecture me on being too young [to get married].”
Every college student has that one special dream job in mind, but for seniors like DeVincent, there is no rush to get there. Whether it is graduate school, marriage, or another life experience, jumping straight into the working world isn’t in the cards for every college senior post-graduation.
“In today’s world, we are pushed toward a career driven lifestyle,” DeVincent said. “But sometimes we may need personal development, time off, more education before beginning our careers.”