The best thing that you can do for your career is to open as many doors for yourself as possible. Luckily, there are many different ways of doing this. The process begins before you even start applying for a job. You need to create a resume. This can be through taking extra classes in high school, picking a major in college that you are interested in, finding a good internship, doing volunteer work, or a host of many other things. Even many hobbies can lead to career opportunities.
Once you鈥檙e started
Once you already have some work experience, you might think that it鈥檚 too late to go and change those things. After all, if you鈥檙e married, have children, and working full time, it might seem like it鈥檚 completely impossible to go back to school and add a new formal skill. For some people, becoming a fulltime student might be completely impossible. However, that doesn鈥檛 mean that perfecting a new skill is, too. Thanks to community colleges, online classes, and other resources, you can learn almost anything on your own schedule. It might take a bit longer, but if you have the drive to transition from a career in food service to a computer science job, it is more possible today than ever before.
Many jobs also have career advancement opportunities within them, particularly bigger companies. Pittsburgh has many of these, thanks to the fact that it鈥檚 a major metropolitan hub. Corporations always need people in leadership positions, and the bigger the corporation, the more likely turnover is. Even if you start out in a company with a low paying, entry level spot, if you are a hard worker, fit the corporate profile of a leader, and you are willing to keep learning more about the job and expanding your duties, you will eventually be recognized and paid what you deserve. So even if you鈥檙e not completely happy with your current job, know that by showing your work ethic and dedication, you can and will find something that makes you happy.
People skills count
Anyone with job experience will tell you that there is much more to finding a job than being good at what you do. You need to also have great people skills. So many jobs revolve around customer service in some fashion, whether it be waiting tables, selling clothing, or directing customers over the phone. Having people skills is a must. And the way that hiring managers figure out what your people skills are like is in the interview. When you first interview for a job, interviewers want to know what your skills are, of course, but they are also looking to see how comfortable you are with people, and how you interact. It doesn鈥檛 make sense to hire someone who鈥檚 great at what they do, but toxic for the company. This is one of the reasons why it鈥檚 so important that you work on your interview skills. You want people to know what you鈥檙e good at, but you also want them to know that you鈥檙e a valuable coworker. This is a skill you can work on regardless of whether you are interviewing in Pittsburgh, Tokyo, or somewhere in between. Having great people skills and being easy to work with are all universally sought traits in a new employee.
Pittsburgh is one of the world鈥檚 most livable cities, and they have many different career paths for you to choose from all within the city. As you gain experience and learn more about yourself, you will find that other opportunities may be more attractive, though. Just be prepared by taking steps now to secure the job that you truly want to devote your time to.