Blog Post: First Steps to a New Career

Recently, I spoke with a job seeker that had a Master’s degree, and suddenly found she didn’t want to pursue the career she had both of her degrees in.  She felt disconnected, unable to get in to any field  - yet certain she could be a valuable  asset to someone, if she just got a chance.  Here are some lessons I have learned and advice I shared with her to help her start a brand new career: .

·       Take a good inventory of what you bring to the table.  This is bigger than a degree – or a work history.  What are your transferable skills?  How do you problem solve?  How do you work with other people?  What results have you driven in your community, schools and former positions?  You may not know where you fit in an organization and hiring managers will need your help to figure that out.  So if you don’t know where you fit at a company, really knowing your strengths will help potential employers visualize where you fit in their team.   

·       Start networking.  Get involved with local chapters of professional associations.  Getting yourself around people that have the same jobs you want to have, can do several things.   These people can tell you how they got their job, they will know people that can help you (or maybe they can), and they will be able to give you constructive help if you are open to receive it.  For help researching your community:  check out events in our newsletters, blogs, or visit our partners pages.

·       Have patience, careers aren’t won – they are developed.  Job searching and career development both require skills that you will be able to grow over time.  Reach out to mentors, resources in the community, resources online, as well as books and magazines.