Finding Your Niche

It’s important to understand the normalcy of part-time jobs at food joints and grocery stores as you navigate finding the career path that’s right for you.

Looking back at my track record on my resume, from restaurants to retail, it was hard to imagine what I could bring to the table as I pursued jobs more tailored to my career interests. Whether it was a social media internship or a freelance feature writer, I struggled with being confident in the skills I had learned at these part-time jobs to land me in a job I truly wanted.

But it’s normal. It’s so normal that I think it almost gets overlooked. We’re in college--full-time students pursuing our academic goals while also paving the way for our careers after graduation. Working at the local grocery store or restaurant aren’t things to be ashamed of when constructing your resume for the big job you’re applying for. That’s how it’s supposed to work--you get these part-time, all-over-the-map jobs to get you familiarized with a workplace environment (and of course get that cash-flow going).

It’s even more important to understand that there are very important skills that are learned in these jobs--customer service, adaptability, time management, etc. These are things that should absolutely be brought to the table as you interview for positions in the career you want.

If you’re working a job that is only a money-provider and not a career you wish to pursue seriously, use your academics as a way to look into things that are of interest to you--talk to professors about their careers and I guarantee you’ll find that many of them worked these ‘odd jobs’ before their career took off. It’s like taking basic algebra before calculus--you need the basics before you take on the more complicated stuff.

Be confident in the skills you gain from your part-time jobs and it’ll give you the basis you need to pursue the career that you truly want.

Source:

https://www.theladders.com/career-advice/career-path-dream-job