Career Coach
Back to School is like New Year’s for anyone in school. It’s a fresh start, a new chapter, going back to see old friends, and meet new ones. Like any new chapter, it is also the time when one can continue to pursue their dream of becoming whatever they set out to become or whether they decide to completely reinvent themselves. Whether you dreamed of becoming a doctor, lawyer, teacher, office manager, designer, business owner, or someone that wants to stay at home. There are many paths in life. Not everyone is looking to be the next JLo or Dr. Oz. Sometimes what we set out to become at 20 or 30 is not the same dream as when we are 40 or 50.
Whatever you aspire to be, do it because you are passionate about it. Always do your best, whether it’s in school or at work. We spend most of our time at work, so it’s important to pursue your dreams. Do what excites you. If the time comes that you want to do something different, then plan for that change and go for it. Life may throw you curve balls and you will have good days and bad days, but having a career or job that you really love is very important.
In my previous roles as a recruiter, I could always see when someone was really passionate about the position they were interviewing for – whether they had worked in a certain role for 10 years, or they were taking a leap of faith to start something different. I have been in positions where I was making excellent money and great benefits, but I was not happy. Everyday was a struggle. I had lost focus as to what I wanted to be doing. As a young girl I always wanted to be a teacher. Then I taught Sunday school for a few years. Shortly thereafter, my plans changed. I took psychology classes at FIU and loved it. Another career change was in store for me. I graduated with a bachelors in Psychology and was applying for a doctoral program at Nova. Someone suggested I work in that arena for a bit and see if it was right for me before committing all that time to school. Well, it wasn’t! I cried everyday on my way home due to the cases I would see, and I was only the girl at the front desk. As I mentioned, life throws you curve balls. As I was working at a financial firm the owner needed someone to implement a Human Resources department. I went back to FIU to get my HR certification and the rest is history. I absolutely love it. I have been in HR for 15 years and now my focus is Talent Acquisition.
For those that are applying for different opportunities here are my top 3 things that you should be focusing on when applying:
1.Resumes should include key words found on the job ad.
Using these catch words will help recruiters that are receiving 100’s of resumes to make yours stand out. Remember your resume is your brand!
2.Create or update your LinkedIn profile to include job specific details.
LinkedIn uses these words to match you with jobs and also bring your resume up in searches that recruiters are conducting.
3.Network!
There’s nothing better than when I would receive a referral from someone! It makes a recruiters life easier, and if that employee is a stellar one, then it’s a sure interview.
I absolutely love what I do, but it took me awhile to find it. So, test out waters, change things up if you need to, but in the end, follow your dreams, aim high and do what moves you!
OVER TO YOU:
Are you doing what you’re passionate about?
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