How To Start Building A Career From Scratch

In the eighth episode of The College Student's Guide To Money, Chelsea shows you how to start building your career from the ground up after college, and balance the need to pay your bills with setting yourself up for a fulfilling professional life long-term.
Changing jobs stats: www.bls.gov/nl...
www.bls.gov/ne...
Choosing a career path: www.indeed.com...
The myth of the dream job: slate.com/huma...
On-campus career resources: www.aacu.org/a...
www.theatlanti...
Job postings not listed: www.businessin...
Preparing for a job interview: www.askamanage...
Negotiating: money.usnews.c...
thefinancialdi...
www.aicpa.org/...
The Financial Diet site:
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[@joymae]

If you are a recent college grad reading this - just know that the first year is the hardest because you're getting accustomed to the new lifestyle, but you will get through it and the skills you build in the early years will set yourself up when you are ready to go out on your own!

[@michellerevisited]

Life isn't a race - it's okay to not be "ahead" or where we think we "should" be at any point in our lives. No need to keep up with others - just have to figure out what works for you at any point in your life.

[@dorothee2314]

Just remember that your first job won’t be your last- so even if you don’t get everything right from the start, don’t panic, every job is a chance to learn and acquire new skills and experience.

[@d14551]

I was a middle school teacher for 35 years. It was a great career for me. It fit my interests and my skills and I look back on it with fondness and a real sense of satisfaction. And day to day, there were still things about it that sucked. I think you make such an important point, Chelsea; there is no such thing as a job or a career that is always wonderful.

[@NorlynCodes]

Dorit Bergen I’m already 32 and I quit my job 2 years ago. I am a graduate of Chemical Engineering but I’m not happy working as an Engineer. I hope I’ll find that work that I really love doing.

[@d14551]

@@NorlynCodes I hope you do, too. Keep on looking!

[@NorlynCodes]

Dorit Bergen Yeah. I was thinking of taking my life again but suddenly I got excited on the possibility that I could discover what I really like to do in life.

[@d14551]

@@NorlynCodes Very glad to hear you are not planning on taking your life - and I hope very much that you are talking to some wise people about that impulse. Are you?

[@NorlynCodes]

Dorit Bergen I’m not. Don’t worry I think I’ll stick around for a while :)

[@darkstormynails]

Something I learned being a recruiter, just one step in my career, was keeping my LinkedIn up to date with all of the skills and achievements related to each job. Implement a new process? Put the before and after numbers on LinkedIn. Win an award? Put that on. Learn a new program or system? Put that there too. Recruiters are constantly looking for keywords and if you tailor your LinkedIn to have a focus on the skills that are in the direction you want your career to go, the right job eventually will come to you. This also allows your LinkedIn to serve as a master resume when tailoring your resume to a specific role. 4 companies and 7 years, I went from a sales rep to operations support to operations manager and Salesforce administrator.

[@victoriab.6601]

thank you for the advice !

[@JuliaGarcia-uc2ix]

Thanks for the tip! :)

[@pechaberrytree]

who else has been watching this series well after college? I'm 26 and back in school for the third time 🤦 and i just have no idea how to find a job that suits me, especially in these times

[@IshtarNike]

We have been sold a lie. 30 years ago you didn't find a job that suits you. You found a job you could stand. While I think we've made advancements in trying to actually get people jobs they like we've overcorrected. Now it's *expected* that you'll go above and beyond for a company even if, realistically, they would never do the same for you. Once upon a time you could clock in and clock out, go to an interview and know how to do the job, that'd be fine. Now you have to know the company's stock price, which projects the R&D department are working on, and the name of the interviewers dog before they take you seriously. It's that bad, even though companies keep crying about not being able to hire people. It's bollocks, they just have all the bargaining power and want to squeeze every last ounce of productivity out of us even if it destroys you.

[@candyrose3651]

I'm 37, considering returning to school, and just watching all of these to see if there are things I can learn now that I didn't learn over the last 14 years of being out of college.

[@lealea9266]

Holy shit me too.25 and planning on going back to school

[@davidliang913]

Navigating the corporate environment after graduating college was & still is quite the experience 😅

[@sophiab6472]

I have so much anxiety just thinking about starting a corporate job lol

[@KenTheAdventurer]

@@sophiab6472 maybe you'll like something else

[@asadb1990]

it is. and getting burned by colleagues and employers lowers trust and optimism levels.

[@husanboy]

She did what colleges don't teach - 'what to do in real life'

[@CaseyBurnsInvesting]

Keep your expenses low, your freedom high, and your options open.

[@IndigenousExotical]

My first job out of college was the most horrendous horrible year of my life. It does get better and the lesson I learned was that it’s okay to quit when something isnt right. Wish i hadnt wasted a year of my life but better to learn that lesson sooner or later!

[@trailminx]

This advice is useful for anyone who wants to restart their career! I'm sure there are plenty of folxs who have a career change during this pandemic and could use advice on starting fresh. Thanks, Chelsea!

[@laurenconrad1799]

Advice on networking: don't think of it as networking while you network. First, find out where the people who have jobs you like hang out. And know that these places are not always in-person. Github? WordPress forums? Instagram? Specific slack channels? And then just spend some time there. And then just think of it as talking to people for fun. Also, do not network with the intention of landing a job. Network with the intention of meeting enough people that it might lead to an opportunity five years from now after you're sick of the boss you'll have four years from now. None of this is easy. But it helps.

[@drsavithasrirama]

I love her so much...with her advice to start a side hustles to earn money..and millennial money advice , 3 minute guides and life style fix tips, finally started my own KZbin channel about food and fitness...thankx Chelsea and team for all efforts they put out here...it shows in your work..I am a binge watcher of TFD from India...never commented on this channel before and first comment here😍 love Savitha

[@marlafincher9063]

Wow. As a manager, I really appreciate that you said that it isn’t realistic that you will find your ‘dream job’ or that you will always love your job. I try to be flexible, understanding and kind to employees and it’s always a goal to pay people fairly. It’s a great place to work with great benefits but some people seem to feel that if they don’t love every aspect, or if they have to work hard the whole time that they are there, that it is a bad job. If they don’t love it, they hate it.

[@CriticalHealingMoment]

Can TFD do a video about freelancing as a main source of income? That's where I'm finding myself restarting in my career at the moment and I feel like many are in the same boat.

[@stefiosart]

Critical Healing Moment speaking as a recently graduated illustrator, i would also really appreciate a video focusing on freelancing and strategies on following the path to being a full time freelancer (yes i know there is no one way to it, but it is hard to stay motivated on the goal sometimes, especially in these circumstances.) it feels really intimidating entering a field where most opportunities are contract work, and you're yet to develop relationships with clients, who are often repeat customers if all goes well. additionally, it's very draining making the time to develop your skills while also working a "job" job to pay the bills, especially as an essential worker with a physically and mentally demanding job. 😞

[@shivanirai9443]

Love this series 😍 please make a same episode for people who started at low salary career job but wanted to landed in good job.

[@Liz.1014]

Graduated college last year and weirdly enough I've seen more job opportunities to work from home during quarantine than right after I graduated so thanks a lot for the advice! they are quite comforting too

[@KyHundley]

Love this!! I’ve been learning to do what I love and figuring out what that means for me. I think I’m out society we have been taught to believe that everything (even a job) will be nothing but bliss

[@Adrian-hx6dq]

Excellent video and nice advice! I just left my internship `cause i felt like I dont fit in the department of engineering where I was and being the person whom writes down instructions and do whatever nobody wants to do IT IS NOT an internship. Continuous learning, self esteem, practicing and gaining new skills is what you are suppossed to get doing an internship. this is my final year, I have fear but if we´ve survived till this moment then it means that we got what we are gonna need to get the live we want. Stay safe, keep studying and most important; dont give up

[@SynterraSteen]

I just cannot work a 9-5 and I had to learn to be ok with that. I need job flexibility more than job security

[@pri.sci.lla.]

I’m applying to vet school within the next year 😬 very nerve racking but I’m getting ready!

[@niawilkerson-aviles1701]

I love this and your very informative for college graduates or soon to be college graduates or college students. I am someone that works in education I have grown to learn that college isn’t for everyone and I am trying to do the best that I can to give the kids I work with the knowledge and the tools to still be successful even if they don’t chose college so I would be very interested into seeing a video about how to start a career and still be financially stable even if college is not a persons path.

[@issamissa902]

Have in mind we're mid 2nd recession in 10yrs. The job market may not be as bright as our parents were.

[@theblackpoorsouthafrican9967]

Thank you TFD for these videos. From South Africa 🇿🇦, as a recent grad in a country of over 30%unemployment it really takes a toll on one. But these tips will definitely come in handy in my "career job"

[@financiallift6185]

Best of luck you to. 30% is crazy

[@dv_browell]

🇿🇦

[@enzalimyint7689]

Loved your channel before this series, and with this series as a person just entering college, i love it even more!! Thank you for this very informative segment and I greatly appreciate all the great work you guys do both on the youtube channel, as well as the thoughtful posts on your site!

[@Craig.Coates]

Absolutely incredible, thank you.

[@chrisb508]

Interesting video and good advice. I initially went to college for Mechanical Engineering. I dropped out after two years and joined the Army to be a linguist. The point is, I started out doing what everyone told me I should do and ended up doing something in a more practical career with a steady paycheck, health care, a pension after 20 years and free training. It turned out to be a great career for me because I don't have a problem following orders and every mission is different so it stayed interesting. Thanks for posting. :-)

[@makesaveinvest1401]

Finding out what I wanted to be once grown up was a bit of a complicated task!! 😅

[@CalvinJourno]

I've been out of college for nearly a decade now, and this advice is fantastic and I really wish I had it when I graduated. Career advising at my university was virtually non-existent.

[@personalfinance9045]

Very useful, especially with everything going on right now in the country!

[@DrKeroro]

I did a bioscience degree and have been working in pharma for about 4 years. It was ok, it let me live relatively comfortably and save a bit - but it's time for a change, I'm starting a government subsidised part time course in software development in October and hope to peace out of my current company in about a year.

[@jarodkarls6732]

Thank you so much for this series!

[@jellygurl27]

You are so right about balance and looking at the job overall! I love my company and have been with my company for 9 years. I have no cons with the exception of course I just want to make even more money but I have gotten raises. My company also offers unlimited leave, something most jobs do not offer. Now I feel like I could never work a job that does not have that benefit.

[@karalewis8654]

Practicums and internships are also worth exploring! Work experience is very important.

[@laurenconrad1799]

The work environment style is often, I find, even more important than the tasks you end up doing. Fully remote? Work from home once a week? Zero work from home? These can have huge variants between industries and even in the same industry. For example, a psychologist can work from home but a surgeon can't. They're both doctors. Many lawyers might be able to work from home, but big fancy law firms might to be less lenient about that (that might change soon). If you're in the restaurant industry, you may be constantly on the go or you may be in one location all day, but that location has to have a kitchen. And if you can't imagine commuting to a kitchen every single day, you might have to rethink that dream of working with food.

[@abigailayala578]

I do not agree, there is such thing as a dream career/job. I am an architect, it something I have worked towards from a very young age, everyday that I go to work I am fulfilling my dreams.

[@DemetriPanici]

Let's be honest though who really truly knows what they want to do when they grow up? 😂

[@laurenconrad1799]

I think there are a ton of people who have a heart's calling that they're aware of when they're six years old (fashion designer, musician, chef, novelist). No one knows what would be a good money maker at that age. Also, a lot of the world's most glamours jobs didn't exist 10 years ago (full time youtuber) or will exist next week (clothing retail store).

[@junitoortega8656]

@@laurenconrad1799 this is so true. I always wanted to work with cars, robots and machinery when I was a kid. I went to college to go to the medical field but ended up quitting to become an mechanical engineer! ❤️

[@rebelgirl711]

It took me a few years of adulthood to figure it out!

[@abigailayala578]

I did.

[@MakaykayLAMB]

Can you please do a video on careers for people who maybe don’t want to go to college? I just don’t know if I can justify this student loan debt, girl.

[@tanishamorris1544]

Military spouses almost have to do this every time there’s a move 😭

[@MPK1637]

Cette chaîne est un phare dans la nuit !

[@jellygurl27]

I agree Chelsea. As, I told my sister. For example i.e. I am sure a Singer can be passionate about singing, however there may be nights where the Singer may not feel like going on stage. Every day will not be exicting.

[@joannieoconnell2488]

Should have known this when I was looking for my first job.

[@lavayuki]

It took me ages to decide on my career, and I worked in various jobs for 2 years

[@elizabethmorales5214]

I just left my job as because I realized it wasn’t for me, though it provides a good, steady income. The place I was at also paid higher than most similar positions. I had no Plan B. I just left. Now I have two job offers for something a little more my style. One is in a city I can vibe in, but I’m not as in love with the position as I am in the city I received the other offer from. The city I don’t like has the job I like more. Haha, it seems that life will never get easier.

[@NurseMathipa-i6t]

My problem is I think I should restart university all over again.. that’s how little I think I learnt

[@se9865]

Be careful about just taking a job to start paying your loans without having an exit strategy. You might end up a college graduate stuck driving a truck for a living. To be fair, there are other college graduate truck drivers who are happy with their choice, so don't out right discount it if it happens to be an option, just make sure you know how you're going to get out before it's too late.

[@bjoernschumacher5852]

the most important isnt to negotiate a high entrance wage, but negotiate a clause that your wage adjusts to inflation. loosing 3% every year for the same work and rising quality of work is shitty....

[@amdl270]

To me it's been so hard applying to jobs that are even slightly different. Like going from a financial technology managmemt job to an operations technology management job. It's not that different!! Idk why HR is so fixed on finding someone who meets all the criteria...chances are that person wants a promotion soon anyway. I've tried every trick on every book, blog, professional services program and I can't seem to move on... I feel like we don't necessarily want that one fixed dream career but recruiters want us to have that fixed path....

[@saralenak2487]

Legit need some advice: what if I’m not really good at anything, even my interests, don’t have any job experience besides minimum wage retail and service, and have debilitating mental illnesses? I don’t want the rest of my life to be this dismal, or else the rest of my life will be very short lived..

[@sarahmitchell7799]

I have similar issues. What I'm trying to focus on is getting a job that is just an okay fit so I can focus on my actual passions, which are my hobbies. I tried to make a living from my hobbies (art/crafting/collecting things from my fandoms), but depression and anxiety made it too difficult to do so, so I'm aiming for some type of administrative job that pays the bills so I can come home and enjoy what I really want to do. I haven't given up on making a living from art, but for the time being I've decided to slow down and do things at whatever pace feels most comfortable. If you're looking for a job that isn't retail, consider being a receptionist. There is still a customer service aspect to it, but the sales aspect is lessened (or non-existent, depending on the company, although you will probably still do money transactions). Businesses like hotels may still push sales, but at a vet, the sales are determined by the doctor, so you aren't pressured to up-sell. I have worked the past year and a half for a pet ER (not recommended for the faint of heart) and I really want to switch to a family vet since the urgency is removed. There are all sorts of businesses that need receptionists, so you can pick an industry you're interested in (or at least one you're okay with). Many reception jobs pay above minimum wage, though you may need to get a couple of years of experience before you can get to the good pay. My own experience says there isn't a ton of room for growth, but it may be a good job to fall back on while you figure it out. Personally, I find working on paperwork to be cathartic, and there is plenty of that in reception. Remember: it's okay for your job to be a means to an end. If your job is not your source of fulfillment, try to find something in another aspect of your life that gives you that feeling. Hope this helps at least a little! Sorry if this doesn't sound like a good fit, but maybe it will help give you ideas!

[@saralenak2487]

Sarah Mitchell Oh wow, we sound really really similar! My passions are also drawing, crafting, and collecting things, and I’m really into the fandom scene. I also suffer from severe depression and anxiety, as well as a few other physical disabilities. Thank you so much for taking the time to type out this long message. I’ve been having a rough week, and it meant a lot to me. I’ve never thought of receptionist working before, and you know what? I’m gonna look into it. I hope you have an amazing week.

[@deathwolfs69]

If you have a negative outlook you will have negative outcomes. Get some counseling and start fostering a growth mindset . You can always change , things can get better , you can learn (but if you believe you cant you will prove yourself right)

[@buildabettercareer9234]

Always try to seek out a good mentor or hire a coach.

[@jddiggy2343]

Just food for thought here but how you make a living is only one facet of Life and there are many others Hobbies, interest, proclivities and extra circular activities make life fun and enjoyable. How you earn a living serves a purpose to support yourself (and your family if applicable) financially. So there is a necessity for utility with in your work. While I do believe it is important to like what you do the idea that your going absolutely love it or that it's so much fun that it doesn't feel like work is delusional. A wise person once told me whenever you do anything for money there's always a certain level of stress added to what you do for the simple reason that your getting paid. And I'd there's an issue you wont get paid and then you can't support yourself financially. While I feel like the new American dream is turning your hobbies into a personal business that works for some just think about whether it will work for you. Things to consider are is there booming industry for this (E.I. a market need, is it a necessity business or a luxury business,) is the career path easy to get into and generate income in, if you are turning a hobby into a career is the stress of the job aspect worth it and is their a possibility of loss of joy you receive from doing it for money. Look what industry's are doing well use your own discernment to tell if that is an industry worth getting in the first place, take the things you like and look at how the world needs that skill in business standpoint example your an artist and creative instead of trying to sell personal paintings going into graphic design where your paid to be creative to design logos, packaging, internet graphic and tons more company's that will pay you well just to use Photoshop and create it for them. If there's nothing you like that much look at what your good at organization? Attention to detail? Grammar? Mathematics? Craftsmanship? Task Completion? If non of those and nothing else comes to mind of thing you like or things your good literally Google careers start broad vocational, Technical, Corporate, Service. Just narrow stuff down to think hmm I could see myself doing this everyday and if you can't don't be afraid to change it. At the end of the day we only know what we're exposed to so if you really have nothing just start googling and ask family and friend what they do and why. I think that's why we use to career day at school but those never get a good sample of people and the only people who show up are the one doctor and lawyer so kids think those are the only careers in life.

[@rfishe]

been loving this series! i’ve uploaded ways to save money in college featuring some helpful tricks for anyone interested. to any college students struggling rn, you got this✨💖 good things are coming!

[@adrianapignolo]

So what you are saying is that you are going full Scully with your hair. I agree.

[@MartyD]

_been unemployed for a year now_ 😭

[@Flamebolt100]

Chin up

[@juliushmushahary9358]

Very practical content 😂

[@sjselby95]

I'm pretty sure I'm already past 12 times and I'm 24. Oops

[@jmsl910]

amen!