Afraid of choosing the wrong job right out of college? Remember – even if you choose the wrong one, you can still learn from it! Check out this article by SavvySugar by clicking here – it details why a suffering through a bad job is sometimes an important way to learn about what you DON’T want to do.
For example, during my sophomore year of college, I worked for an event marketing company that mostly consisted of nightlife clients. I quickly learned that working in the nightlife scene wasn’t for me because the people I had to deal with during events were mostly inebriated during my time working with them and the hours were terrible! While this job could be really fun for people who love the nightlife scene and don’t mind being out until 3 a.m. in the morning, it just wasn’t for me.
Now, when I interview for new jobs I know to ask about the extra hours and weekends that I will be required to work. I also learned that even though marketing and promotion of nightclub events sounded fun, it isn’t for me, so I check out a company’s Web site to see what their client list looks like before I send my resume to that company. Although these sound like ‘duh’ realizations, sometimes you just have to experience a job before you realize you do or don’t like it. You can avoid getting stuck in a job by testing the waters first through:
- Internships - A great way to figure out if you like a certain career or company because they usually only last a few months, so be sure to take advantage of them.
- Job Shadowing – Ask to follow someone for one work day to see what it is like to have their job.
- Research!!
- Experience.com is the perfect place to start and check out different career paths. If you’re specifically looking for a career in the entertainment industry, check out this article by Emma Beaver to see the different paths you can take.
- About.com has a great career tool where you can type in a job title or career you are interested in and see all kinds of statistics such as earnings, advancement, skills needed and even a typical day for that job! Here is an example for a public relations specialist.
4 comments:
I worked at an athletic shoe store. The whole reason I worked there was for the discount, because I bought a lot of shoes. The bad part was having no say in how the store was run. The corporate office decided how the store was run from across the country, and it just didn't work in our area. We had all kinds of ideas to make the store better, but no way to implement them. I have that in my new job now, and it's great.
I've never really had what I would consider a bad job, but I have had plenty of part-time and seasonal jobs that have helped with future work. Even waitressing and retail jobs are beneficial in some way. Even if it's just improving your communication skills, you are learning something that you can use in future interactions.
I know a few people who have worked in retail for chain stores and it can definitely be a frustrating job due to the hours and the extent to which you are working for a large corporation that has decide how to manage their employees from their desks in New York!
Jenna- I completely agree that seasonal jobs are a great way to learn how to handle yourself in a professional atmosphere.
I think seasonal work is fantastic for checking out different careers. There are some wonderful opportunities in Colorado for very interesting seasonal work.
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