Syana  0:30  
Graduation is supposed to feel simple. You finish school, you get a job, you move forward. But for a lot of young people right now, it doesn't really work like that. The path forward isn't always clear. Some feel stuck. Others keep moving, even if they're not sure where they're going. This episode looks at two people, same moments in life, very different choices. 

Kayla  1:07  
I got my first full time job three days after I finished exams. I hadn't even officially graduated yet, and I was already working six days a week. My mom always felt I moved into working way too fast.

Syana  1:18  
Kayla worked at a bakery for two years after finishing her baking and pastry arts program, it was familiar. It made sense at a time she thought she may stay there long term.

Kayla  1:30  
I had also previously worked at this place throughout my program for the externship semester, and this was the location I thought I was always going to work at, even when I was in school.

Syana  1:40  
At first, the Job felt stable, nothing she could build on, but that started to change.

Kayla  1:47  
I really did like working there. The job itself was great, and the owners were incredibly supportive, but it was mainly my co workers that made me question staying there. 

Syana  1:56  
At a concert, someone fell from above and landed on top of her. She got a concussion. It wasn't her first. 

Kayla  2:05  
It was my fourth one. So it heavily impacted my health and my memory, and it made me realize that life is very up and down. It's very unpredictable, and I didn't want to stay somewhere that was worsening not only my mental health, but my physical one, as well as the lack of support from my co workers when I tried to return to work.

Syana  2:22  
That moment didn't just affect her health, it made her stop and rethink what she actually wanted.

Kayla  2:29  
It was more about trying new things. I feel like everyone changes their minds, and I have nothing but love for the original field, but I also have a lot of different passions, and I wanted to branch out and try different things. I see it as a new beginning. I do sometimes feel like it's a setback, but my sister has changed her major, and my mom returned to school at 30 to start a new career. So I do also remember that everyone moves throughout life at a different pace, and I would rather be behind in life, but pursuing something I really love than at the same pace with others my age, but struggling mentally. 

Syana  2:58  
Kayla's story might sound personal, but it's not unusual. A TMU labor market expert Viet Vu says that overall, graduates are not necessarily taking more non linear paths than before, but he says that past year has been especially difficult for young people in the labor market, which is pushing more of them to consider alternative routes in the short term. Right now, the job market is harder for young people. When hiring slows down. People start looking for other options. Vu says economic uncertainty and low hiring are the main reasons more graduates are reconsidering their direction, going back to school, changing direction. But not everyone has the same choices. Saba Iqbal is a fourth year journalism student at Tmu. She's about to graduate, and she's already thinking about what comes next, not just what she wants to do, but what's actually possible.

Saba  4:14  
I feel like it's not easy to get a job in media, in newsroom on bachelor based almost like kind of impossible, and even people cannot get, like, jobs in restaurants and on a very basic level jobs, or entry level jobs, they're asking for a lot of experience. And I'm actually applying for those jobs, but still, like, it's, it's, it's hard, it because they're even asking for a lot of experience.

Syana  4:38  
For Saba, this isn't just about journalism. It's about a job market overall, what's available and what isn't.

Saba  4:47  
For my survival purpose. Like, I think, like, I need a stable job, and it still doesn't guarantee that I will, I will get a job in journalism for me, as I don't have a family here, and I have to be financially stable, and I know financial. Stability is nowadays, like, it's my basic like, need because, like, I'm gonna graduate now. So I was thinking to continue masters, but I feel like this year I cannot continue master. I have to apply for in September 2027 or maybe from September 2027 I have to continue my master's, or either I have to go for nursing degree. And like this, one and half year, I have to focus on my finances. I have to, you know, earn money, to save money, to take prerequisites or to further studies.

Syana  5:32  
Kayla steps away, takes time, tries something different. Saba moves forward, but with the backup plan, one is choosing change, the other is choosing stability. Both are reacting to the same pressure. Vu says these decisions can be both strategic and reactive. Sometimes students already had plans to return to school, but current economy conditions push those plans forward sooner.

Kayla  6:01  
Before success for me was achieving my goals as young as possible and moving countries to pursue them. But now I feel like money isn't success, and it's waking up every day knowing you like what you do.

Syana  6:11  
Right now there's no clear path after graduation. Luo also knows that even though more degrees or credentials do not always matter as much to employers. Many students still feel pressure to gain of competitive edge. Not one version that works for everyone. For some people, stepping back is the right move. For others, moving forward means being practical. Either way, people are figuring out as they go, and as Luo points out, if students do decide to return to school, they need to be clear about why, because it is a major financial commitment. That's it for today's episode, I'm syana. Thanks so much for listening. Take care, and I will talk to you next time.

Transcribed by https://otter.ai