Sometimes in your career, things don’t always work out the way you plan them. For me, the first time I learned this lesson, I was in college. I went to one of those fancy, private schools to study computer engineering in the late 90s. I knew that an investment in such a great degree would guarantee me a job when I graduated. Not only that, it would guarantee me a great paying job.
Well, I couldn’t have been more wrong. The dot com crash came along right in the middle of my studies an put a halt on hiring. Even the recruiters that normally came to our school to hire students canceled their visits. It was something I’d never seen before and couldn’t have predicted.
This experience took me down a path of finding my transferrable skills and learning about new careers. Transferable skills are the strengths you can take from job to job. I also learned to interview for all sorts of jobs in many different industries – and I lost my fear of reaching out to strangers. It’s truly a skillset I developed out of survival. I needed to pay the rent.
I know it sounds strange, but when you look at interviewing from a different angle, it’s less scary and much more interesting. I looked at (and continue to look at) interviewing as making new professional contacts and learning about new jobs. I look at interviews as networking meetings, not as an opportunity to be rejected by a stranger.
And, you know what else? I don’t care as much if I meet every little minimum requirement on the job description. You know why? Because, truth be told, many employers don’t really care if you do. If an employer brings you in for an interview, it’s because they think you can do the job. Why not submit your application and let them decide?
If we could all spend a little less time worrying about being the perfect candidate, and a little more time just being the best candidate we can be, we’d all go a little further, faster. When I learned this lesson, my own career path changed dramatically. I went from being an engineer to a project manager then from a project manager to a digital marketing executive. Now, I’m a career coach. I could have never guessed in the 90s that my career path would have been so winding.
I was recently invited to share my own story of career success as a TEDx Talk. My talk, titled “How I broke the rules & found my perfect job,” shares my story of not waiting for permission and a little obsession I developed along the way. You may have already noticed. It turns out, I really like interviewing.
I invite you to check out my TEDx Talk on the TEDx Talk YouTube channel (http://bit.ly/broketherules). It’s my hope that you will be inspired to bend the rules in your own search, so you can find your perfect job.
Angela Copeland is a Career Coach and Founder of Copeland Coaching and can be reached at CopelandCoaching.com or on Twitter at @CopelandCoach.
I’ve met a number of people lately who have said something that’s surprised me. They’ve told me that they aren’t sure if college is really worth it. They believe it would be a waste of money to pay for something they might never use, especially if they change their mind on a career path later.
The group I’m talking about is made up of twenty-something millennials. They are college age and very unsure if they trust this system. They’ve seen their friends go to college and end up with little more than a pile of student loans and a degree that seems to open zero doors. They see friends living at home with parents, unable to get their own apartments.
The economy has struggled for years. College tuition is at extremely high levels creating high student debt. And older workers are being forced to stay in their jobs for longer than ever before, leaving fewer good jobs for new graduates.
When you think of it this way, this perspective makes sense. It can seem that the return on investment just isn’t there to justify spending the money. It also ups the importance of picking the right degree.
But, this perspective worries me. In today’s workforce, a college degree is often considered the minimum threshold for entry. It’s similar to how a high school diploma was perceived in a previous generation. Without one, a job seeker will likely be at a disadvantage compared to someone with a degree.
Very often, the specific degree is less important than having one. Ask anyone over the age of forty what they studied in college. There’s a decent chance you’ll be surprised by their answer because they likely have switched fields along the way.
When I hear this new doubt about the value of college, I think about a number of the older job seekers I’ve met along the way. Early in their careers, they were leaders in their field — perhaps in something like sales. They worked at the same company for years, building up clients and a big paycheck. Then one day, the industry shifted. The company they worked for went out of business and they were out of work.
Suddenly, the successful, seasoned professional they were disappears. They feel helpless. They feel lost. Employers are less interested in them. They have all the right experience and the right knowledge, but they don’t have a degree. They don’t meet the basic requirements. They struggle to find work that will pay the bills to maintain their existing lifestyle. This experience is devastating.
If you’re struggling to decide, remember the long game. Education is expensive, but it’s worth it. Think of how much you’d be willing to pay for a new car, because it drives you around. Education gets you places too, but just in a different way. And, if college isn’t for you for whatever reason, consider a trade program. Additional training will put you ahead of your competition, and help to secure your future.
Angela Copeland is CEO and founder of Copeland Coaching and can be reached at CopelandCoaching.com or on Twitter at @CopelandCoach.
I wanted to take a moment this week and talk about something that’s a bit outside my normal range of topics: college students. If you have a college aged child, this newsletter is for you.
In the past few weeks, I’ve received a surprising number of calls and emails from concerned parents. Since this is clearly an important issue, I wanted to share a few thoughts that I hope may help.
I don’t have college aged children myself and I have a great deal of respect for those who do. My thoughts come from my own personal experience, my experience talking to others who are living these issues today, and the trends that are playing out in the job market.
Concern: My child isn’t sure what to major in. Response: First and foremost, the most important thing to come away with from college is a degree. Most important. It is often more important to finish in four or five years than to go to school for six or seven years trying to find the perfect degree. At the end of the day, your child may or may not work in the field that their degree is in. But they will need a degree to stick out from other job interview candidates. With that said, degrees are expensive. Your child will want to pick the best one they can. Look at degrees that offer flexibility in future job prospects. For example, a computer and systems engineering degree led me to jobs and interviews in engineering, computer programming, IT management, sales engineering, manufacturing management, and project management. It’s the sort of degree that qualifies graduates to do many different types of jobs. And, if one career option goes away because the industry dies, or jobs are outsourced or automated, there are other options. With that said, it’s better to finish college than to switch majors many, many times.
Concern: My child isn’t sure what to minor in. Response: It depends on the particular situation, but in most cases, a minor is (relatively) irrelevant. Many people even drop it off their resume after a few years. So, don’t sweat it. They should pick something they’d like to learn more about — or something that will add a level of diversity to their major. My minor is in studio art. I learned to draw and paint and sculpt. It helped to balance out my science and math classes a bit. It gave me diversity on my resume. It showed that I was multidimensional. It gave me something relatable to talk about in interviews besides engineering.
Concern: What if my child chooses a major they end up not wanting to do as a career? Response: This is pretty normal. Don’t believe me? Ask you own coworkers what they studied in college. Chances are, you’ll be surprised. And remember, today’s college students will have many careers over the course of their lifetime. The average worker today switches jobs about every four years. It’s rare that every job will be perfectly aligned to their college education. Consider my case. I really disliked computer programming, but learning about technology gave me a leg up in other related fields.
Concern: What type of job should my child get while in college? Response: Okay, this is where you may want to disagree. IMHO, the main purpose of college is to learn. School is a huge financial investment. It’s a big investment of time too. Their first priority should be school — going to class, studying, and learning. Period. But, a job can also be a super helpful extension of coursework — if chosen carefully. Internships can be great in college. I did four internships in college. Yes, four. Some were paid, but not all. But you know, I learned so much more at internships about what I wanted to be than I ever did in class. Try to put a little less emphasis on how much the internship pays and more on what the intern learns. We pay so much to go to school to learn what’s in books. Why do we really care if we are paid a real salary to learn at a job while in college? And, having internships on their resume will greatly increase their chances of getting a great job that pays real money upon graduation.
Concern: How can my child start to pinpoint which jobs they might like? Response: Professors, mentors, the college career department, and internships can all be a great help in this area. Just remember, this takes time to figure out and your child may have multiple different careers over their life. It’s normal that there’s more than one answer to the question. But, if they’re struggling to get started, try asking them to take the Myers Briggs personality assessment. It often gives insightful suggestions on careers to consider. (If you don’t have access to the paid version of the test, there are a few free versions online that may help with ideas.)
Concern: How can my child learn more about a particular job or career? Response: Informational interviews!! These are the best, and they’re free. As a college student, many professionals will want to help your child. They’ll be open to meeting and sharing more about their own careers. If your child isn’t sure where to start with this, check out episode 101 of the Copeland Coaching Podcast. I interview Zachary Croteau, who landed multiple jobs in college using this simple technique.
Concern: My child is choosing a career field that won’t pay enough to keep the lights on. Help! Response: This is tough. Work isn’t always fun and when we pursue a degree that’s a hobby, we might be surprised at the end how little jobs pay. If I were advising someone on this, I’d recommend first that the student create a sample after college budget. One that contains rent, utilities, college loan payments, everything. This would help to setup a target desired salary range. Then, I’d check out sites like Salary.com and Glassdoor.com. They contain tons of great salary information. Some jobs pay $20K after college while others pay $60K. These sites can help to identify which jobs are which.
Concern: Should my child go straight to grad school? Response: It depends. With a field like engineering, the answer can be yes. With a field such as business, the answer is often no. Delaying grad school is a good idea when the child wants to get more experience under their belt — or they aren’t sure if it’s the right field for them. Just don’t delay too long. Shoot to finish graduate work by age 30 if possible. It’s a better long investment financially, and it makes it easier to focus on the increased commitment levels that come with age.
Concern: My child had to take on student loans to pay tuition. Help! Response: Sadly, this is part of the world today for most people. With the high price of tuition, there are rarely options to get through school without loans unless you’re lucky enough to have scholarships. Most schools are considerably more expensive today than thirty years ago. Look at the loans as an investment in their future career (as long as they aren’t abusing them). Below is an image Bloomberg.com released demonstrating the rise intuition since 1978. This shocking data is from the Bureau of Labor Statistics.
Concern: How can I help my child? Response: One way to help is to share resources and ideas like this email. But remember, a lot of the growth and learning your child will get comes through struggle. You probably had the same difficult experience in your twenties. Struggle isn’t all bad. It can help a young person to figure out who they are and what they want. Don’t discount its value. It short changes the learning process.
These are my thoughts. Like I said, this has been such a common question lately that I wanted to take a moment to share some thoughts. I hope these are helpful, and may provide a foundation for additional thoughts and discussion.
I hope these tips have helped you. Visit CopelandCoaching.com to find more tips to improve your job search. If I can be of assistance to you, don’t hesitate to reach out to me here.
Also, be sure to subscribe to my Copeland Coaching Podcast on Apple Podcasts or Stitcher where I discuss career advice every Tuesday! If you’ve already heard the podcast and enjoy it, please consider leaving a review in Apple Podcasts or Stitcher.
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