A young woman fresh out of school goes to university with dreams of becoming the next big visual storyteller. Her part-time job at a local cafe helped her save some money and student loans will cover the rest. She can pay those back once she’s a respected (and handsomely paid) Hollywood director.
Choosing Film Studies, she works diligently, eschewing parties in favour of all-night study sessions. She graduates with honours, ready to make her dream a reality and enter the work force. But the job offers never come. Weeks turn into months and, back to working at that cafe, she wonders where it all went wrong. Perhaps, in some other life, she achieved her career goals, only to find that overbearing executives and long, unproductive script meetings were what she actually signed up for.
Higher education is certainly an investment, but it’s also a gamble. For some graduates, the opportunities never materialise. Others find their ‘dream’ job is actually a nightmare. And with student loan debts higher than ever, it’s so important to get it right.
All of these situations can leave a person feeling humiliated, demoralised, and unsure of how to get their professional life back on track. Thankfully, with diligence and a little bit of luck, turning your career towards a more positive direction is possible.
Sometimes, it’s about who you know
Sometimes the best way to improve your career trajectory is to seek the company of those who’ve already found success. In other words, networking is an essential step in repairing your professional life, whether you’re trying to advance in your current field or looking to get a foot in the door of an entirely different career. When responding to job adverts you’re just another sheet of paper in a stack of resumes. By networking with industry insiders, it puts a face to the name, and gives you a significant leg up on the competition.
Businesses may be willing to overlook the fact that your educational background doesn’t align with their expectations if they connect with you on a personal, face-to-face level. Furthermore, building a strong network of professional connections can often lead to opportunities that never make it to job advert sites. Start by using social media sites geared towards professionals, then branch out by attending conferences, job fairs, and other events attended by professionals in your chosen career path.
Broaden your skill set
Let’s face it: there are thousands, perhaps millions of graduates with the same English Literature degree as you. But how many of those graduates are also bilingual, certified to design websites and offer tech support, know a programming language or two, or any other number of invaluable tech industry skills? Sites like Duolingo or Code Academy give you the ability to learn new skills for relatively little investment.
Furthermore, it’s possible to earn computer certifications online. If you already have a Computer Science degree, these certifications are an excellent way to broaden your skills and flesh out your resume. For others, certifications can lead to opportunities your degree didn’t prepare you for, while also adding extra incentive to employers interested in hiring a talented multi-tasker with a range of disciplines.
Forge your own path
If the opportunities to move your career forward simply aren’t coming, consider starting your own business. Take small steps at first. If, for example, your educational background is in writing, do a few pro bono projects for family and friends, perhaps writing some copy for their business’s website.
Small projects are an excellent way to build your portfolio and can be used to secure more clients. Build your fledgling company’s web presence through a business website and social media profiles. If you’ve put in the effort to build a solid network of professional relationships, these friendships can help garner leads and build credibility.
Give something back
We all need money to put food on the table, but sometimes the best way to change your career path is to intern or volunteer. Volunteering is its own reward, but it can also help you create new opportunities, build your network, learn new skills, or make inroads into a new career path.
Furthermore, not all internships are unpaid, and with effort it’s possible to turn an internship into a part or full-time paid position. With many jobs requiring a fair amount of experience for even entry-level positions, the right internship or volunteer position can net you a solid foundation on which businesses will wish to build.
Starting over
For some graduates, the best course of action is, as counter intuitive as it may sound, to return to the classroom. Getting another degree may seem daunting, but consider you’ve managed it before. Do careful research to find a degree which will qualify you for a position in a thriving industry, and be sure to look out for niche positions that businesses struggle to fill.
Another perk to starting a fresh degree somewhere like student loan debts higher than ever is that it gives you access to internships only available to students, while also opening up the opportunity to consult with campus career advisers.
You’re never too old to start over
We spend too much of our short lives working to justify remaining on a career path that doesn’t satisfy us. If your current profession leaves you underpaid, unhappy, or unfulfilled, then you deserve a change. Getting your career life back on track can be daunting, but if it were impossible, we wouldn’t have the likes of Walt Disney, who spent the early part of his professional life as a newspaper editor, or Harrison Ford, who once walked away from acting to try his hand at carpentry, only to return to the silver screen. The only difference between you and these individuals is that they were willing to take a risk to regain control of their career lives.
Did you regret your degree? What have your experiences been? Tell us in the comments below.
Dixie is a freelance writer who loves to write for business, finance, women’s interests, and education. Dixie lives in Arizona with her husband and three beautiful daughters who are the inspiration for her writing.
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