(The Verge) – This past week, I attended a panel discussion called, “What Can You Do with an English Major?” The meeting was hosted by Dr. Brown, Assistant Professor of English at Monmouth University. The speakers included already successful people that are willing to share their personal experiences and advice about breaking into the job search.
In the meeting, Toni Magyar, an employee of W.W. Norton shared, “never underestimate the power of networking and connections.” One sure way to get into the job field is by making and maintaining connections across various networks.
Stay with me on this journey, I am going to give you more of the honest advice, tips, and resources to help get you started on your job search!
Before I begin, I would like to tell you what inspired me to write a post on this topic.
Right now as a senior, I am in the process of finding a job of interest by attending meetings, building my resume, and also doing my research. I am coming to understand what it is like and how difficult it is to find a job that you enjoy.
I personally did not go to school screaming, “I WANT TO BE AN ENGLISH MAJOR!” It just came to be that way. I changed and dropped more than one major. I learned something important in the process: sometimes finding your major, job, and/or career can be a process of elimination.
Can you relate? Have you ever changed your major or job more than once? Most likely, yes. This post is for everyone in college stuck in that awkward stage balancing school, jobs, and finding the career of your dreams.
Here are some tips to get you started on your job search:
1. Make a LinkedIn.
If you do not have a LinkedIn, make one immediately and start making connections! I like to call LinkedIn a “professional Facebook” because you are connecting via social network to access people, jobs, news, updates, and insights.
2. Practice good communication skills.
It is essential to practice good communication skills on your search to finding your career. This does not only mean via Internet/e-mail, you must practice and develop your confidence talking in front of people in conferences, meetings, and face-to-face communication.
3. Use your resources.
Research online and start a file with your resume, interests, goals, and accomplished projects. For example, if you are an Art major, start a portfolio to showcase your work.
4. Find yourself.
Discover what you like to do and your interests. If you can, travel and explore new places and things. You will find out something about yourself and what makes you happy.
5. Be open-minded.
You may not get the glamorous job you have dreamed of right away. Start at the bottom and work your way up. Be open to many, many kinds of jobs to make yourself more marketable.
* Hot tip: Check out the resources below for great links!! Also, Google “instructional design” and “e-learning” to develop engaging learning experiences.
You are not alone in the path to discovering “YOUR Career Happiness.” So many people (young and old) are unsure of what they are doing with their life right now. This is very scary, but true. In order to be successful and happy at the same time, you must follow your passion, and your work will never feel like work.
I’d love to hear your feedback on this topic! If you are interested in hearing from me more, please read more on my blog, Vive e impara and/or like Vive e impara on Facebook.
Resources:
- www.linkedin.com: Social networking tool.
- www.vizify.com: Visual resume resource.
- http://4020vision.com: Advice from 40-something women to 20-something women.
- http://blog.penelopetrunk.com: Career Advice from Penelope Trunk.
- http://smartprettyandawkward.com: One of my favorite blogs, “How to be Smarter, How to be Prettier, and How to be (less) Awkward.”
