If you’ve made it to this blog, chances are you have reached a pivotal moment in your life: The moment where you have made the decision to embark on a new career or begin the job search process. The top five most stressful events in the human life (according to many mental health professionals) are experiencing the death of a loved one, divorce, moving, major illness or injury, and job loss. I would argue that starting a new job can be as equally stressful as job loss. Our jobs, or careers, have become about so much more than just “jobs.” Our careers effect our relationships with our family members and friends. They impact our ability to support ourselves and perhaps a family. They have the potential to lead to amazing professional relationships and personal growth. Our careers can positively or negatively impact our self-esteem, and our self-worth. Depending on the type of work we do, we may even have the power to change the lives of others. Our careers are a part of our identity. Something with so much importance holds a significant amount of weight for our overall health and prosperity as an individual.
Yet, we still don’t spend as much time as we should in our formative years and in secondary education exploring career counseling theories. So much pressure is put on students to receive passing grades and in teaching to the exam, that there is little room in the curriculum to address career readiness topics and what students can expect when entering the world of work. The question has always been “What do you want to be when you grow up?” What students should be taught to ask in return is “How do I figure that out?” and if they are unsure of their vocational options, not being afraid to say “I’m not sure, can you help me?” This blog will give you insight into many different topics, hopefully all of which will be helpful as you navigate your next move.
Before sharing ANY advice with you today, I think it is important to share with you a little about myself, to build my credibility. When it comes to looking for employment and career readiness, you will undoubtedly uncover many different pieces of advice and guidance from the folks you encounter. While there are many right ways to do things and many good pieces of advice, there are also wrong ways to go about the job search process and career exploration, so I want you to be able to trust what I am going to share with you. Also, all the information and guidance, tips, and recommendations that I share here are based on my professional work experience and my opinion. You will not find cited sources or evidence pulled from research. My expertise is based on real life experience, exposure, and in my interactions with other working professionals in the industry, and that is what I will share with you.
I have 11 years of experience in the higher education industry working for a private college in upstate New York. This college has multiple campuses across the United States as well as an Online division. During my 11 years, I solely worked in Career Services, serving as the Director of the department. In my role, I provided career coaching during one-on-ones with students, conducted classroom and community presentations on career readiness topics, taught three different levels of career development curriculum, coordinated required internships for all majors, and assisted students in securing employment upon graduation. In my role as Director, I created many mutually beneficial partnerships with employers to assist both students and the companies with their unique needs. This means that interacted with A LOT of human resources, talent acquisition, and hiring professionals. I would receive insight daily as to best practices when it came to the job application process, interviewing, resume formatting, and even networking. My campus consistently had employment outcomes within the top three of the organization and won the Career Services Campus of the Year for the 2020 employment year. I was able to raise the average annual salary for graduates by 19% in just three years by teaching them to effectively negotiate their salaries, building their confidence, and by targeting the right employers for business development and partnerships. In my role, I also sat on the Talent Acquisition Committee for the campus and was a part of every interview (basically) that we had on campus for various openings. My opinion and interview strategies were respected and appreciated. Recently, I started working with Health Workforce New York as a College and Career Readiness Mentor, so I know a thing or two about what it takes to navigate the job search process.
As with any goal or challenge you commit to in your life, you are going to get out of it what you put into it. Career exploration and job searching is work. One of my favorite expressions that I would often share with students frustrated by the job search process is “It’s a job to find a job.” Make yourself available and commit to the process. Here are two very quick pieces of advice to get you started as you begin your job searching and/or career exploration journey.
First: Don’t compare yourself to others. One of the worst things you can do to your mental health is compare yourself to the status and success of others. You may be doing this unknowingly already by scrolling through your Facebook or Instagram feed, perhaps on LinkedIn where it appears all your high school friends or people within your network are finding positions and receiving promotions, but you aren’t. Stop doing that! As a society, we have become obsessed with how others perceive us and the image that we present to the outsiders looking in. Everyone walks their own path and has their own life experiences that have brought them to where they are. Yours is just that, yours! It makes no sense to compare your life to others, so choose to only focus on yourself and the steps you need to take to reach your goals. Side note – most people only post positive things on their social media (and honestly, some of them post things that aren’t even true). I would argue that you aren’t getting the full story and definitely not the whole truth based on what you read online.
Second: Don’t take it personal. I mean just that. Don’t take it personal! You will not get contacted for every job you apply for. You will not get selected for every job you interview for, and that’s okay. Not everyone will accept your request to connect on LinkedIn or respond to your email asking for an update as to the status of your job application. You will most likely get rejected at some point during this process and experience failure. We all do. The important thing is that you carry yourself professionally and focus on what you need to be successful. The important thing is that you find your grit and keep going. There is a job out there for you that’s perfect, so don’t worry about the ones that don’t respond or that you don’t get offers for. If you followed their application instructions and attempted some form of professional follow up, you’ve done your part as an applicant. Some companies are excellent with their interviewing, selection, and onboarding process. Others, well they’re struggling, but that’s a story for another day.
I hope to share with you my expert advice and tips on at least two career readiness topics each week. My goal is to provide you with as much information as possible to help you feel prepared and ready to navigate your career and/or college journey. I would welcome recommendations and requests for information on any career related topics. Please feel free to email your suggestions or questions to me at kate@hwny.org.
I wish you nothing but the best in your search for your next opportunity!
Happy hunting!
