How Did You Get Into Your Career/current Job?

[meanJewGreen]

I scour other message boards and one thing I find is the job network (texags.com has some great postings, questions about jobs and such) I'm employed now and found my job completely by chance after a tumultuous couple of months financially and now mentally.

How did all of you get started on your career?

[SteaminWillieBeamin]

I scour other message boards and one thing I find is the job network (texags.com has some great postings, questions about jobs and such) I'm employed now and found my job completely by chance after a tumultuous couple of months financially and now mentally.

How did all of you get started on your career?

Co-op in last year of college.

Met mentors in said co-op.

Got a job from those mentors giving me leads.

[MDH]

Got an internship while in school and came back. I had to sell my soul though, don't tell them I'm online right now.

[Rudy]

Was studying to be a coach, but still remember where I was when I decided to go into law enforcement. I got my degree in kinediology to fall back on. Got started in policing thanks to a high school friend in a neighboring department, who is now my supervisor. I also do security for natural gas wells and got that jog thanks to a retired NT police officer.

[ColoradoEagle]

It's all about who you know. I've tried searching Monster, Careerbuilder, etc before and it never ends well. Too much work, too.

[Rudy]

You have no idea how much of it is who you know. I put myself through the police academy, breezed through it, and even with a college degree, it took me a year to get my foot in the door.

[untbowler]

started career as an intern for County Planning and then shifted to elections, then marine GIS, then Health Services and finally

got lucky was working for State Agency and then City Job opened up 3 minutes from home and became the first ever in the position.

The variety of GIS experience is what got the job.

Edited November 9, 2010 by untbowler

[Mean Green Matt]

I'm still trying to get my first job out of college... . Its been 3 months and no luck yet.

[UNTLifer]

Networking, never burn any bridges, network, get involved in industry organizations and network.

[UNTLifer]

I'm still trying to get my first job out of college... . Its been 3 months and no luck yet.

What field?

[untbowler]

Networking, never burn any bridges, network, get involved in industry organizations and network.

Everyone should heed these words. I am friends with all of my previous supervisors and employers.

Never burn the bridges, you never know when you might need to cross that bridge again.

[Mean Green Matt]

What field?

My undergrad degree is a BBA in Real Estate. I am looking for pretty much anything in the business world though. I am in the first semester of my MBA right now in Strategic Management.

[UNT Five&Dime]

I am currently looking for work while being a stay-at-home dad. I'll share how I got into my "job" though.

When my wife and I were expecting our first child back in '08 we had discussions on child care. We both worked, but came to the conclusion we wanted to make sure our child(ren) always had a parent at home with them. At the time, we were making about the same money. We took the opportunity to cut back and struggle a couple years to ensure a better future. I left work to pursue my MBA full-time in '09 when she went back from maternity leave. She is a teacher, so she would get summers and holidays off which was perfect. I've stayed home and raised our son and finished my MBA (from UNT, of course) in August. Now, I am searching and searching for a career.

Everyone's right. It sucks. Lot of work with little, if any, reward.

Mean Green Matt: Good luck with the Strategic Management program. I enjoyed every bit of the work involved in earning that degree. It hasn't paid off yet, but I know the investment and sacrifice is going to be well worth it. Go COB!

[KRAM1]

It's all about who you know. I've tried searching Monster, Careerbuilder, etc before and it never ends well. Too much work, too.

If you are using the big Internet job "find" engines, you are pretty much wasting your time. You simply must work your connections and get out on the street and knock on doors. You never know where that "connection" and recommendation will come from or who might be willing to give you a hand and/or lead. Same goes for just sitting at home mailing resumes. Get busy and make finding a job your FULL TIME JOB...at least eight hours of concentrated effort at least five days a week. Don't forget networking opportunities including the UNT Alumni Association...it just was involved in a job fair last week.

My financial services career got started by accident just how I mentioned above...I was working the job market after returning from a stint in the Air Force. Hooked on as a aprt-time consultant to a welding supply firm and met a guy who was a banker...he brought me into banking, I went back to UNT for my MBA and the rest is history. You just never know, but you will NEVER know sitting behind a computer or dropping by the post office every day or so.

Don't know anyone? Sure you do...just go talk to everyone you know who IS employed. get them to set you up for mock interviews, volunteer at some place...lot's of corp. and company employees volunteer time at non-profits...etc., etc.

Yes, it can definitely be about who you know, but it's also about effort and who you "get to know". It's tough out there and not getting much easier...I help folks fairly often with mock interviews, resume suggestions and have introduced quite a few job seekers to potential employers. Work the crowd...meet new people...volunteer...use each and every contact you have and MAKE new contacts.

Good luck to all...you never know where that career and/or job may show up! Excellent thread...maybe we can help some folks...I think alums should do all they can to help other UNT alums.

[untgirl04]

I wanted to go into Linguistics, but Dr. Sims, the department head for the Technical Writing program convinced me that with my undergrad in Biology, I would be a natural fit in Technical Writing. I have to admit, she was right. I got my first job by sitting next to a guy I barely knew from my hometown (but I knew his mother well from school) during a church service. He was also a graduate from UNT and had heard from his mother that I was attending. He was moving into the Marketing department, and his previous boss was looking to fill the position quickly. A week later, after sending him my resume, I got a call from his boss offering me the job.

It's not always just who you know, but more importantly, the follow through that leads to success.

[KRAM1]

It's not always just who you know, but more importantly, the follow through that leads to success.

Absolutely 100% correct. You rock untgirl04!

[THOR]

i got a job at hodge elementary where i student taught. i then followed the principal to a new school in the district and have been here since it opened. teaching wasn't what i originally started college to get into, but i found accounting to be too boring!

[EagleGreen]

I grinded out a few trips out with the Navy, a BS, MS, Ph.D, post-doc, some networking, phone calls, mass resume sending, more networking, and landed a job. Hard work and Good times.

[Coffee and TV]

Networking, never burn any bridges, network, get involved in industry organizations and network.

No joke. Its not the grades you make, but the hands you shake. Graduated in December of 07 and have yet to work in my field. Have steady employment, but it pays the bills and nothing else. Be nice to put a dent into these student loans.

[Green Mean]

My undergrad degree is a BBA in Real Estate. I am looking for pretty much anything in the business world though. I am in the first semester of my MBA right now in Strategic Management.

If you haven't already done so tart applying heavily to corporate level jobs for mid to large companies. Make sure your resume stands out. You in the middle of your MBA is a plus as you will get higher consideration on some jobs. The market is starting to open up a little and they are always looking for cheaper labor that just graduated or in the middle of their masters.

What's always worked for me thankfully is making your full time job looking for a job. You have to be a vulture and I am sure you will find something soon.