Tell me about your job and how you got it.

[coribelle26]

I'm more interested in people who are in careers not directly correlated with their degrees, but if you want to tell me, "I got a degree in accounting and applied for a job as an accountant," knock yourself out.

My job is ending in 2 1/2 weeks (of my own choosing).  My plan for what I thought was next has fallen through.  I have one field where I'm going to start looking but if that doesn't pan out I have no idea where to look next, so I want to hear your stories to get ideas.  Or inspiration.  Or distraction from the swirling vortex of suck that is my year.  Any of these would be fine.

[Deleted]

lawyer.

went to law school. got good grades. didn't act like a psycho on interviews/as a summer associate.

sorry, i'm totally useless with these sorts of things.


anyway, my BFF wanted to be a teacher and help people. she hated teaching. she now works at an education-focused nonprofit, and got that job after doing teach for america.

ETA:  almost everyone else in her field has a degree in nonprofit management, business, or public policy (or something else i can't remember).  she got it through showing A) her ed degree and B) a prior business-oriented job (which she hated, but, hell, she could sell it).

[Deleted]

I have no degree yet, but its a great job while I'm going to school right now. Good pay, benefits, flexible, not anything I have to bring home with me.

Its a company that does third party coordination of benefits for major health insurance companies. I got it off of Craigslist lol.

[nadasteph]

I have a fairly generic business degree, and when i moved here i put my resume online at all the usual places, workopolis, jobshop, etc. I got a call from a headhunter who wanted to set me up with an interview. I said no a half dozen times because I didn't want a job in sales, but i relented when he told me it would be good interview experience, he would get feedback and help me find something else if i went. I ended up taking the job and am still here 5 years later.

[LLL]

I was recommended by my former boss when my position at my old dept. was terminated. I had been doing some version of what I do now full-time for a while in my previous position. I don't have any formal background in exhibit management but do have extensive international business experience so that helps.

[Deleted]

I'm in grants writing/management now.

They contacted me after I put my resume on Monster. I was still at my other position at a college. I got the college job after grad school as a way to move up here and was able to pursue teaching gigs on the side, so I was happy, but this job was more money.

My degrees are in English, Writing, and Renaissance Literature/Performance.

With any luck I'll be moving into editing.

[cuddlyevil]

I have a bachelors in psychology. I work as an academic administrative assistant for two surgeons.

I got the position through someone I met while on a temporary assignment at a bank, the person asked what I planned on doing after my assignment ended and she sent my resume to her friend and the rest is history.

[winnied]

I work in politics as an executive assistant. I went to school for poli sci but that really has very little to do with my work. I'm not spouting off political theory left and right.

After graduating I got an internship at the same place I work now through a connection.

Three months later I got a fundraising job with a similar group who I interned with a year before after I went to drinks/dinner/ok really it was mostly drinking with old coworkers. I worked there for 1.5 years.

When a politician I admire greatly on a small level ran for congress, I had a friend who lived there (and volunteered on the campaign) get a close staff member's email address for me to contact his office once he won (like hours later) and applied for a scheduling position. Two years later I chose to leave, worked with a recruiter, who actually ended up putting me where I started post-grad.

Ta-daa.

[sparkythelawyer]

They had a posting on indeed.com.

[evynsmama]

I have a degree in Human Development with an emphasis in Children's Services
I am a Human Resources Professional, the fact that my field and degree have Human in the title is the only thing they have in common, that and both areas help people.

I worked in retail in college and as a dept. manager I fell into the HR duties at the store level, I liked it a lot and decided to pursue a career in HR being that I couldn't handle the emotional baggage of a career in social services. I started as an HR Assitant and  moved to a senior role within 6 years. I love helping people and not being the stereotypical HR person, every day is different from the last which some people find difficult, but I relish the constant change. I also work for a ver Employee centric company and purposefully seek that out, because going to work is something I want to enjoy not dread.

Good Luck!

[sake]

I taught at a previous school with 3 teachers and one Admin at my current school. When a position opened up here, they called me, and basically handed me the job. I didn't even have to interview. I was really lucky.

[Deleted]

My undergrad is in Biology with a Chem minor. I originally wanted to be a PA. After the required observation hours I discovered I really did not want to be in the clinical side of healthcare.
I took a job out of college with a healthcare revenue cycle management company. I was a contract employee with the hospital that I now work at. My office was located next to the Medical Staff Office, so I got to know the girls in there well. When one of them resigned, I was approached by the Director to apply for the position. I worked in that department and eventually took over as the director of the department. In August our CEO told me they were creating a recruiter position and he wanted me to take it. So I did. I love love it. I was lucky that the recruitment position was offered to me because the other department was outsourced during a recent merger at our organization.

It was an odd way to get here, but I couldn't be happier.

[jigsy]

I work at a nonprofit and focus on child nutrition.
My degree is in international relations.
I wanted to work at a nonprofit doing some that felt good, I got this gig through a temp agency even though I have no background in nutrition stuff.

It's been really interesting!

[leeann]

My current job I got by responding to a job posting on LinkedIn. The job I'll be starting in a couple of weeks, I got through a recruiter and the same with the job I had before my current job.

[MWOS]

The only other time I've been asked this question it was implied that I had sucked a little dick to get my job

[Deleted]

Jun 3, 2013 13:23:55 GMT -5 MWOS said:

The only other time I've been asked this question it was implied that I had sucked a little dick to get my job

Just a litte dick? Like a micropeen?

[coribelle26]

For those of you that have an education (or related) degree but are doing something different, did you find that employers were worried that you were going to leave for a job in your original field? I know at my old company we had people with teaching degrees applying for various jobs, and their resumes usually got thrown out because the attitude was, "Oh, they'll just leave when a teaching job becomes available."

I have a BA in Psychology and MA in Counseling (School Couns. major) and my first attempt is going to be a job at a university, which at least makes a little sense with my degrees. If that doesn't work though and I start looking in the private sector, I feel like I am going to have to explain that I'm committed to a career change before I even get my foot in the door. (specialk, to answer your question, I'm definitely not pursuing counseling or other human service jobs.)

[coribelle26]

Jun 3, 2013 13:23:55 GMT -5 MWOS said:

The only other time I've been asked this question it was implied that I had sucked a little dick to get my job

Listen I am exploring all options right now.

[gretchenindisguise]

usajobs.gov

I set up a profile so it sent me jobs that fit my criteria. I applied for nearly all of them, got this one.

[soleil]

I'm a Criminology/Psychology double major.  I current work in the tax/finance department in a law firm doing research and drafting documents--pseudo paralegal/project assistant.  I had zero background in business/real estate/finance/taxes/law firms which is the major emphasis of my job.  I got it by just sending in my resume`.  My boss wanted someone inexperienced in it so he could train them to know what he wanted them to know and do things the way he wanted.  So I had enough experience and transferable skills (1 year job out of college, B.A degree) to get the job but not too much experience for the position, so I was trainable.  Right place right time basically.

I'd look at your transferable skills and see what lines up with that.

[MWOS]

Jun 3, 2013 13:27:13 GMT -5 @fucksticklegit said:

Jun 3, 2013 13:23:55 GMT -5 MWOS said:

The only other time I've been asked this question it was implied that I had sucked a little dick to get my job

Just a litte dick? Like a micropeen?

bitchplease :N:

[karmasabiotch]

I got hired at my Master's internship.

Have you ruled out probation types of jobs?

[Deleted]

I had a BA from a liberal arts college with a major in Art History. I ended up taking some classes in Nonprofit management & leadership, got an internship at a United Way and now work for a government agency.

I got the position because I can read and write good. Lol.

[Deleted]

So a looong time ago when I first graduated with a communications degree I didn't really know what kind of job I wanted or that I could get with said degree. Plus I was in a new town where I didn't know a soul so I couldn't rely on a friend of a frown of a friend who had connections. KWIM?

Anyhow I started calling people who I thought had interesting jobs and asked if I could talk to them about how they got into their career and what led them to their current job.

I spoke with the editor of the city newspaper, the communications manager at the local community college, director of the chamber of commerce and the director of PR at the local hospital. The last one happened to be looking for an assistant so I got that job and worked my way up.

[coribelle26]

I have a shitload of transferable skills, since before my 3 years as a counselor I spent 6 years as an executive assistant where I did event planning, accounting, contract editing, office managing, corporate giving, hiring and training, etc.

I have too much skillz. I don't know what to do with all the skillz.

So basically I need to just comb through every job posting there is, because right now I occasionally stumble upon a job that looks cool that I think I could do, but there is no one particular CATEGORY that I'm looking for, you know?

[coribelle26]

This is very helpful by the way, so thank you all for responding.

[lolly]

I'm a SAHM. I got knocked up.

[Deleted]

Jun 3, 2013 13:50:13 GMT -5 coribelle26 said:

I have a shitload of transferable skills, since before my 3 years as a counselor I spent 6 years as an executive assistant where I did event planning, accounting, contract editing, office managing, corporate giving, hiring and training, etc.

I have too much skillz. I don't know what to do with all the skillz.

So basically I need to just comb through every job posting there is, because right now I occasionally stumble upon a job that looks cool that I think I could do, but there is no one particular CATEGORY that I'm looking for, you know?

i would bet this helps you avoid the whole "she's just biding her time for a new counseling job" trap.  just play that up in your cover letters, and emphasize the non-counseling transferable skills from the counseling job.

[coribelle26]

Cville (notice I didn't tag you! lol) the thing that's tripping me up is I DON'T really want another assistant job and I think despite all the skillz I'm kind of pigeonholing myself into that job description.

I can have that job back if I want it. That was the new development today, there is no new job, but I can have the old one. Well I don't want the old one, I didn't want it three years ago when I left it and I certainly don't want it now when I'm three years older and there's someone else in it who will get booted.

I am really really worried that when anyone sees my resume they are going to think, A) She's going to leave for a counseling job, or B) She's not right for this, but Ted in Finance needs an assistant! Neither of these will keep me from trying but they are greatly contributing to why I may throw up in the trash can this afternoon.

[coribelle26]

Jun 3, 2013 13:53:12 GMT -5 lolly said:

I'm a SAHM. I got knocked up.

Yes I worked on this but failed the interview process, lol.