How to Break into an Industry - The Role of Chance in Planning a Career

I Thought I was supposed to Plan My Career!

Especially in a down economy, people may ask “what can you do with a Liberal Arts degree?” The answer is, of course, a lot of things. While we encourage you to explore possible career paths, and then make a plan of action, we also know the value of being open to possibilities that arise along the way to your goal. What kind of possibilities? Chance encounters, unexpected opportunities and bits of information that can help you or steer you in a new direction. If you are prepared, you can take advantage of this kind of serendipity!

How to Prepare for Chance Opportunities

Have a good resume, an elevator speech, and a sense of what you are good at. Be open to conversations with people you meet, anytime, anyplace. Go places that look interesting, talk to the people there; ask questions of people who are doing jobs that look appealing. Ask them how they got where they are today. Have an open mind, embrace the unexpected and you may just be the person who is “in the right place at the right time” when someone tells you about a job opening that is not even posted yet. If you are prepared, you can act quickly when presented with a chance opportunity. You may take a job after graduation that isn’t exactly your dream job – but it may lead you to an unexpected opportunity down the road.

Hear How Some Liberal Arts Graduates Found Great Careers!

How does it happen? You can hear some real life examples. Come to the “So You Want My Job” panel on Thursday, November 5 in the Knight Library Browsing room. Hear several alums describe the path from graduation to an interesting career – what they planned, and what just happened. Find out how a graduate with a degree in Environmental Studies ended up working as a Volunteer Coordinator for Habitat for Humanity; how a graduate with a degree in International Studies and French got a fascinating job training, writing, testing and solving problems for Xerox; how a Political Science graduate became Executive Director of the Latino Network in Portland. There will be more panelists, more stories, and lots of advice and inspiration! Sign up to attend.

Photo from Flickr by awshots