Weighing the Options

As I near graduation it becomes more and more evident to me that I am going to need a job very soon. I have no doubts that CAFNR and the Ag Journalism program have prepared me to be successful in just about any career, what I worry about is my ability to choose the path that is right for me.

Luckily for me, I am not the first confused senior that CAFNR Career Services Director, Stephanie Chipman, has dealt with.

I met with Stephanie the other day to discuss my options post-graduation. I went in hoping to find a career, but with no idea what I wanted to do. This seems like an impossible mission, but it was obviously something Stephanie had seen before.

Looking back, the advice she gave me was simple; find the type of job that appeals to you and then find a similar job that fits your location and expertise. But this was different from the approach that I had been taking.

Like many job seekers, I had been looking for it all one place. I wanted the right job in the right place with the right salary. This can be difficult to find.

What Stephanie suggested was to figure out what it was that I liked about a specific job and then look for similar ones that met my requirements.

This is something that should be so natural. I equate it to deciding on your favorite food as a little kid. You know why you don’t like asparagus, and why you do like mac and cheese. You know that if something contains asparagus you won’t like it, but if it contains cheese you most likely will.

This same reasoning can be applied to your job search, just think of a cubicle as asparagus and a six-figure pay check as the cheese. You get the idea.

If you still aren’t sure what career suits you best, bring your ideas in to the CAFNR Career Services office and they will be glad to help you out.

-Taryn Dameron

Senior, Agricultural Journalism

Follow Taryn's advice and find YOUR path to career success. Stop by Ag Building 2-64 today!