Everyone’s Journey is Different

When it comes to getting your ideal job, there can often be a stigma attached when it comes to that process. I know that when I was at school, it was drilled into me that I must get an industry-specific degree and then get a relevant job. Of course, that is not the case and everyone’s journey is different. There are no tick boxes when it comes to your career journey.

Any Degree Will Do

I was told that to have a job in Marketing then I must do a degree and a master’s in marketing. And you know what, I disagreed and chose Journalism because I knew that I wanted to write but I didn’t know what part of the media I wanted to work in.

If you have graduated with a degree that does not relate to what you want to do, don’t worry. Just having a degree makes you attractive to an employer you can talk positively about your university experience and what you did on your course and how those skills that you have learnt (trust me there are some) are transferable in a job interview.

What if you don’t have a degree, what happens then? Don’t panic it is definitely not the be-all and end-all of your journey. There are plenty of other ways to start your career.

Work Experience

Work Experience is always beneficial as it can help you decide if you want to work in that industry or not, placements look great on your CV and it can sometimes lead to gaining a role if you impress that company.

When I graduated in Journalism, I wasn’t sure if I wanted to be in that industry, so I took a placement with a newspaper and found it wasn’t for me, I then tried work experience in a marketing agency and loved it.

After that, I had completed a range of placements in different areas of marketing to make my CV stand out to employers but to also educate myself about the different aspects of marketing. I had gained experience with a marketing agency for 2 weeks and I had impressed them with my work, they asked me to return next month to do a longer placement.

Often those placements can lead to permanent jobs, even if they don’t - that company may contact you if they have work opportunities in the future.

Internships

It is the same case for internships, you may end up getting a job through completing one of those. This happened to me, I completed a 3-month marketing internship and after it finished, I was offered a part-time role with the company.  I realised that I could use social media and content marketing to support a business, then all of a sudden, I experienced a light bulb moment. This was how my marketing career really began to take off for me.

Again, don’t stress if you are not offered a role after your internship. It means you have the experience, a reference and contact for future employment.

Networking

Whether you network through LinkedIn, Social Media or attending an event (when we are allowed) It can be a great source of job opportunities, that person that you spoke to may have been impressed by you and might have an opportunity to offer you or may ask to see your CV and keep it on file. Or they may be happy to share their contacts with you to help you further your career.

Personally, I have not found that yet, but I know that in the marketing industry it is often the case of not what you know, but who you know. Don’t dismiss a professional relationship with someone just because they have not offered you a job, that person will be of value if you are in need of advice when looking for a job.

Time

What we have to remember is that everyone takes their time and has their own path to follow. I actually worked in retail for 6 years after I graduated in Journalism, not because I was lazy but because I wanted time to think about what I wanted to do and what I needed to do to further my career in the media.

It does not matter where you are in your career, your age or if you have been out of work and are deciding to jump back on after some time. Everyone can start their career whenever they feel ready. 

There is no right or wrong way when it comes to finding a job, no matter what industry you want to go in.

For me, it took the pandemic to make my career journey change and if it wasn’t for that big shift in the path then I would have not made the move into marketing.

You can have this plan in your head of how you want to go about finding your dream job and that plan might not go the way you had imagined. Sometimes that is the best way, not to have a plan. You might be strict on following path A and then something might happen that forces you to go on path B, next thing you know you are on path E and you are on a roll on your quest to find a job.

Never let anyone no matter if they are your family, friends, teachers, or even professional contacts distract you from your goal. Do not let them tell you how to find a job, each experience is different. Instead, listen to their advice and let them share their career journey with you. Take on what they say… but it is up to you at the end of the day, you are in control of your journey and you decide how you follow it!

Written by Journalist Graduate, Gemma Hirst.