Career Development | Charleston, SC

A group of Wake Foresters gathered over dinner in Charleston, SC on June 13, 2019 to discuss Career Development.

Overview and highlights of our Call to Conversation:

• We discussed career development through the lens of our own lived experience by reflecting back on our first job and what we had learned from it. We recognized that there are several “first” jobs – there is the first job you ever have, the first job where you are an employee (as opposed, for example, to babysitting or dog walking), your first job out of college, the first job in your chosen profession… Each of these “first” job shapes us and teaches us in different ways.
• Service jobs & soft skills: One issue that came up was that many of us held our first jobs during high school, most of which were not glamorous and involved working in the service industry. While we might have gone on to different professions, these initial jobs taught us some very important life lessons: treating others with respect, acting responsibly, pulling your own weight, navigating relationships with coworkers, etc…. These aren’t the technical skills we then acquired later in life as we entered different careers, but they are vital skills to have when you start on that first job in your career. We touched on the fact that many high school students today haven’t held a job and what that means for acquiring and learning these skills before they enter the workforce.
• Being open to change: Another thing that surfaced is the importance of being open to change. The career/profession that you think you are going to love may not be for you – and a job that you never thought you would like may end up being a really good fit. In the modern economy people are likely to have not one but several careers during their lifetime. Knowing how to adapt and learn is critical to being successful in this new environment.