Comments on: Stability After College: How Long Does it Take?

By: Lisa

Lisa — Fri, 02 Oct 2009 02:22:54 +0000

I strive for a mixture of stability and balance in my life and I feel confident I will get there eventually.

I got a job out of college and things in my life would have all appeared stable – decent salary, boyfriend, great friends, but I felt the itch to do and see more. Also, I found my job incredibly boring.So I left it all and went to live in Vietnam for 2 years. The experience was amazing, and when I left it helped me prioritize what is the most important to me now so that I can have what I want in the future.

Currently, I’m focused on getting my career together so that I can have the skills and talent to make money from anywhere and possibly move across the US. I think when one goal is accomplished, the other pieces begin to fall into place too.

I’m just working on committing to my goals and seeing where the journey takes me.

MissMentor

By: mike

mike — Mon, 13 Jul 2009 20:50:44 +0000

Stability in an ever changing economy is a bit hard to achieve at least when compared to ’stability’ as it was defined a few decades ago i.e. 20 years same employers. today you are lucky to stay with the same employer five years and in a down economy all bets are off.

By: Sydney

Sydney — Tue, 07 Jul 2009 12:01:35 +0000

Not. Even. Close.

Ask me this time next year.

I don’t know anybody (really), I haven’t gotten paid yet, and it’s still really fresh (I’ve been here for 3 weeks).

Stability? Not. Even. Close.

By: Allie Osmar

Allie Osmar — Mon, 06 Jul 2009 23:35:35 +0000

I agree 100% that there are a lot of moving parts, and while one part may feel stable, others may be up in the air. Overall, though, I think feeling financially stable (having an emergency fund, not worrying about how the bills will be paid, etc.) is a huge first step.

By: Dani O'Brien

Dani O'Brien — Mon, 06 Jul 2009 15:10:28 +0000

During my third year of college I was forced into complete financial independence, however it took a few years to actually feel stable. Now that I am out of college for a little over a year now and have been working full time in my career for about 3 years, I feel stable at least in the financial end of things.

Am I 100% satisfied with my career? Do I still have plans to move across the country? Will my boyfriend and I get engaged and married soon? When will I own my own home?

All of these questions keep me on the edge of my seat despite my ability to live finanically stable at this point. So, in my opinion, it’s a matter of the person and what you’re looking for to feel “stable”. I highly doubt I’ll ever feel content and in a place where I don’t need to keep moving forward in some way or another.

By: Daniel Hoang

Daniel Hoang — Mon, 06 Jul 2009 04:25:19 +0000

Although I was “stable” about two years after graduation, I felt that it took a good four years before I felt truly stable. That includes having a secure job, reduced debt (less student loans), and an emergency fund. Most importantly, I feel safe because I’ve accumulated enough professional experience that make me valuable in the marketplace, even in a tough economy.

By: Tony

Tony — Thu, 02 Jul 2009 15:47:23 +0000

I am just starting to feel stability settle in myself. I am 4 years out of school and just now starting to feel comfortable with my work-life balance. One way I knew that I was balancing my work-life better was when I was financially stable (still have insane debt) and looking to take on more responsibility like “getting a dog” or “starting a website”. At that point I realized I had just passed a crucial stage in my career path.

By: Barbara

Barbara — Thu, 02 Jul 2009 13:54:30 +0000

Stability for me was achieved, the moment I could pay my own rent, buy my own food and clothes. That is, the end of handouts from mom and dad. Then I was a grown-up.
For me, it happened fairly soon after college, simple low-paying job, rent controlled apartment, no extravagant lifestyle.

By: Norcross

Norcross — Wed, 01 Jul 2009 04:29:57 +0000

I’m actually head BACK to college at the age of (almost) 29. My late teens / early 20s was an insane roller coaster ride that included some dubious actions on my part, so any change from that would be considered stability.

However, as I got a little older, got married, and had a child, I found out that it’s the little things in my life that become the stability, and not the whole package. There are still many moving parts, but a few things stay the same.