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One of the most common pieces of advice given to young people deciding what they want to do professionally for the rest of their lives is to “do what you love and you’ll never work a day in your life.” That is easier said than done depending on what a person loves to do, but it is made easier depending on the imagination of the person contemplating their professional future. Another thing that aids in the choosing of a career is choosing one that matches or compliments a person’s personality, rather than one that contradicts it. One big personality characteristic that people use to define themselves is whether a person is an optimist or a pessimist. Below are some career paths that are popularly known to be compatible with pessimists.

Actuaries appraise, manage, and advise their clients on areas of potential financial risk. It is vitally important that their calculations are correct because of the impacts they could have downstream. Pessimists can thrive as actuaries because of their knack for sticking to what the numbers truly are instead of trying to dress them up. Because actuaries typically deal with worst-case scenarios, who better to conceptualize a worst-case scenario than a pessimist? Businesses who rely on the work produced by pessimistic actuaries rarely find themselves facing scenarios worse than the ones foretold by their calculations.

Solicitors (also known as barristers in the UK) are attorneys paid to represent their clients in court regarding legal matters. Pessimism can be a vital tool for these career paths for a variety of reasons. Because of the dire circumstances than can accompany legal proceedings, clients typically appreciate being apprised of exactly how bad their situation could be so they can plan accordingly. Pessimistic solicitors and barristers can be reliable communicators of such topics without the temptation to soften up potentially bad news. Also because of the high stakes of such proceedings, legal opponents are frequently stooping to new lows to represent their clients. A solicitor or barrister armed with pessimism is less likely to be caught off guard by such tactics.

Quality control engineers are tasked with ferreting out potential defects of a finished product to prevent various levels of financial, reputational, or legal harm down the line. This is done by creating benchmarks for product quality and testing products to test for statistically significant variations. A pessimist will be more likely to raise an alarm (and less likely to sweep under the rug) if a product is not up to par.

One of the most common pieces of advice given to young people deciding what they want to do professionally for the rest of their lives is to “do what you love and you’ll never work a day in your life.” That is easier said than done depending on what a person loves to do, but it is made easier depending on the imagination of the person contemplating their professional future. Another thing that aids in the choosing of a career is choosing one that matches or compliments a person’s personality, rather than one that contradicts it. One big personality characteristic that people use to define themselves is whether a person is an optimist or a pessimist. Below are some career paths that are popularly known to be compatible with optimists.

Optimists typically bring a shine or energy to whatever job they choose. Many people bring their optimism to the profession of teaching, where it is sometimes vitally important due to the various challenges of being a teacher. A teacher sets the mood for their classroom, which has a big impact on the facilitation of learning. Optimistic teachers frequently radiate the optimism that is associated with young, fresh minds interested in learning and experiencing new things, back to their students. Even for students who don’t find learning as easy as their counterparts, a teacher’s optimism to help them pull through is typically remembered decades later by the thankful students.

Creative jobs such as writer or artist are also ripe for optimists. Frequent revisions, or outright rejections, are typically commonplace in such jobs but can be weathered or balanced by an optimistic person’s personality. When such people do succeed professionally, their optimism helps lay the groundwork for some truly remarkable final products. Optimists are also typically known for making up their own rules and thinking outside of the box, which is crucial for writers and artists.

Nurses are on the front lines when it comes to caring for all kinds of patients in the healthcare system. Sometimes nursing jobs can be difficult when things do not go in favor of a patient, but an optimistic nurse can power through to focus on being able to help the next patient. Because of the typically unexpected or dire circumstances that causes people to interact with the healthcare system, optimist nurses are a vital part of guiding patients through the difficulties related to their care so they can hopefully get back to their normal life as soon as possible.

We all know the best way to land new opportunities is through our network, but what if you don’t have one?

When you’re just starting out in your career, it is imperative to take careful steps to grow and nurture your professional network. But where do you start?

Friends and Family

If you’re fortunate enough to have well-connected friends and family, be sure to take advantage of it! This is a great place to start because you’ll (probably) be more comfortable talking to these connections and they are truly invested in your success (meaning they won’t be offended if this conversation comes off as completely one-sided).

Grabbing coffee with your uncle who works in a similar field, or your mom’s best friend who works at your dream company and knows everyone, can give you insight into the career, the company, and how to navigate professional life. It can also lead to valuable introductions. That’s how you build your network. While you’re at it, don’t forget your friends who have maybe already started in the field!

Professor Mentor

If your degree program had you working closely with a professor who acted as a mentor, this would be an excellent source for growing your network. Ask for their advice on groups and organizations you could join to make professional connections – they may even introduce you to some previous students who are already out in the field.

Organizations and Events

Most people dread networking events, but they’re still around for good reason. Networking events, conferences, or gatherings for professional organizations are perfect venues for meeting and connecting with folks in your field and building your network.

Be sure to follow the three “be’s”: Be curious (ask questions, show interest in them). Be approachable (mind your body language). Be authentic (put your best foot forward, but make sure it’s your foot).

Social Media

Raise your hand if you have more than one friend who you’ve never met in real life. Thanks to a plethora of social platforms, our social circles have expanded beyond physical locations…and with so many options, there is something for everyone.

Spend some time engaging on your favorite professional social platform. Read articles and respond with carefully considered (and value-adding) comments. Engage in an authentic conversation over your professional interests and nurture the connection as it grows.

No matter how you decide to go about building your network, be sure to show genuine interest in the person you are talking to and their experience, interests, and viewpoints. Your relationships will be strongest if they aren’t one-way and your connection won’t feel used. With that said, don’t hesitate to be clear in asking for introductions! Just be sure to do as much of the work for them as you can – be clear about who you want to meet and why.

Building a professional network can be intimidating and quite stressful, but with practice and preparation you can become a competent networker.

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It's Not Enough to Say What You Do, You Have to Say Why You Do It

While this year’s grads have been robbed of most traditions, there are some things no one can escape…like needing a resume.

Maybe you’ve heard the struggle that you need to have experience to get experience, or maybe you’re even seeing that firsthand. It’s true that the job search process is really setup for people who already have at least some professional experience, and this can make writing an entry-level resume a daunting task.

First things first: you need to know who you are.

Well, maybe not who you are, but definitely who you want to be. Every word on your resume needs to paint the picture of where you’re going. This is one of the few situations where an objective is appropriate – you can even get away with the “Objective” section, but the best practice is to incorporate your objective into your heading and summary.

Instead of…
Objective: To obtain an entry-level position in software engineering where I can work on new technology, contribute to the organization, and gain experience.

Try…
Software Engineer
Recent Computer Science graduate, passionate about new technologies and excited to make an impact.

Highlight what you have.

You might not have a lot of professional experience, if any, so lead with what you do have. Internships, even unpaid, should be detailed and provide context on environment, scope, responsibilities, and accomplishments (hint: talking about the results/accomplishments should shed a lot of insight on the responsibilities without writing a job description).

No internships? Again, go with what you do have. Project experience. A thesis. Every bit of relevant experience: list it.

No relevant experience? List your volunteer work, student organizations, and extracurriculars to show your skillsets and leadership skills. And by all means, put your degree to work by leading with your education and listing out relevant coursework.

Be choosy with what you include.

Your weekend babysitting job? Unless you’re looking for a career working with children, it’s best you leave it off. Stick to experience that is relevant to the industry or skillsets.

Another area to be choosy is your GPA. Only include it if it’s good. By good we mean over 3.5.

Your resume won’t be long, but it should be complete at this point. Now all that’s left is to proofread!

If you’re still struggling at this point, contact us to talk about your Student Resume. It’s also a perfect graduation gift!