Find a Job: Introductions Part 2

Submitted by CCCL_DouglasT

My story – Your story

My work journey is not typical for my generation—and certainly not typical for anyone early in their careers as of 2020. I have worked in one career my entire working life at 5 different organizations. A Bureau of Labor Statistics report found Americans will work 10-13 jobs by age 52, but my work journey doesn't touch upon all the topics that I hope to cover.

While in college I received work-scholarship (I had to work for the school to stay in school), and my department didn’t have jobs, so I took one at the library.  Had to earn the moolah to:

• Stabilize the situation
• Get some experience on the resume

I applied the minute summer internships were posted, they paid minimum wage but:

• One-on-one project oriented work looks great on a resume
• Skill-building was great
• They put me in front of all the department heads and other employers (I learned that was called “Networking”)
• They paid for lunch, dinner, and partial housing

After school:

• Resumes were sent anywhere I was vaguely qualified
• Every interview I had, I prepared for by reading articles on the company, calling connections (your network), and understanding the market they were in. With the Internet barely in existence, this was difficult, but paid off, especially in a difficult, competitive market

Finally, once I knew that I was in the career I wanted, I researched ways to improve my situation and found that a Master’s degree would do just that.