What should I do with my career?
Asked by
JLeslie (
65790
)
July 13th, 2010
I need some suggestions.
I was very successful in my retail career. I worked as a manager and a buyer. Later I worked for some vendors. I enjoyed retail a lot. Interacting with people, working as a team, I really like the analytical part of the job also, and the visual. The thing is I don’t know if I want to commit to going back into the stores. The schedule, physically very hard on the body. Not sure I can get a higher level position realistically like district manager, which is appealng to me, and I do not live in a city where finding a buying job is likely. Working for the vendors is probably the ideal for me, but those jobs are hard to come by in general, and I am not living in a big retailers haven right now.
Then I went into selling real estate for a while. It was good, but where I live now I am not interested in it. The builders and developers are not creative enough for me, the realtors are very sharky here, and of course as everyone knows real estate is tough anyway right now.
Lastly, I have worked as an Executive Assistant to VP through CXO levels. I liked being a right hand person to someone, although being in an office all day I did miss the visual part of working in retail and real estate. When I had opportunity to evaluate marketing products and create documents it kind of helped satisfy that.
My degree is in Marketing. Still a field I feel well suited for.
Many people say they look for a challege. Generally for me what gives me job satisfaction is being fantastic at whatever I do. I really care about doing my job well and feeling valuable to the team and/or my direct supervisor.
I can’t seem to get it together and get started on my next career path.
Any creative suggestions from the collective?
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9 Answers
Network. You don’t know what to do, and I certainly don’t know anything useful to tell you in terms of career. But I suggest you start informational interviewing. Call people in all these fields and go talk to them, and ask them exactly this question. What should you do—and give them your requirements (hours, creativity, etc). Discuss what kind of work is out there.
I think you really won’t get the information you’re looking for any other way. All of us can give you any idea we can think of, and I’m sure we can think of a lot. But until you start pounding the pavement, none of it will be really meaningful.
So, if you’re serious. Start calling people you know, ask them these questions, and build from there.
@JLeslie would check out marketing a new company that was going green in your area! Also, you would do great in personel. You are a people person.
Will give it more thought!
Maybe you could get a hold of some of your old co-workers if you still have their info and see what they are up to. I guess this falls under networking like wundayatta said. But you might be surprised at where they are or what they are doing.
I wanted to add that it is not that I have bounced around all over the place in my career. Retail since college was a 12 year career more or less, 8 of those spent with one retailer (I also worked in retail while in High school which I did not count in the 12 years). Real estate for 3 years. Executive Assistant full time for just under 2 years full time, and the past 3 years part time, by choice. We have moved a few times for my husband’s career, and so I kind of took the opportunity to try some different things when my jobs were disrupted and take it easy to be honest. Now, I want to get back into the game.
Good suggestions so far. Thanks. Looking forward to reading some more.
Are there hotels in your area? If so, you might enjoy a sales manager position at one.
* Lots of interaction with existing and potential clients
* Analysis required for figuring out whether to take a piece of business or not and what rate to offer based on many factors.
* The schedule is pretty much 8–5 M-F, with occasional after-work networking and weekend tours/greetings of incoming groups
* Most of the time, they are out making sales calls or giving tours, but there is also desk time for making calls, filling out reports and weekly staff meetings
* Potential to become a Director of Sales and even Regional Sales Director
* Lots of opportunity to use your marketing skills in creating packages to draw in customers.
* Working well with the hotel team is essential. You have to understand what life is like in all other depts. in order to create a successful experience for the guests.
If this sounds appealing, feel free to contact me, and I can provide some tips on what to look for in choosing the right hotel. The last thing anyone wants to do is have a job selling a product that they don’t believe in.
@Pied_Pfeffer I have to run right now, but I will probably PM you later. I actually went to Michigan State Univ. originally thinking I might go into hospitality. You may know they are well known for that course of study. Thanks for the suggestion.
You could consider a Marketing job in the high Technology sector. You could start as a Product Manager and work your way up from there.
Your will to succeed at whatever you do certainly helps you accomplish the tasks you pick. We can all give you suggestions here but you wil have to decide on your own in the end.
A good way to plan your career is to go through your long term and short term goals list. Then among the options you currently have, give preference to the one which will take you to your long term goal. Let’s say one of your long term goals is to market a product what becomes an international besteller. So right now choose the option which can get you there in the long term.
If you have long term goals and don’t know how to get there, then above will help you “to connect the dots”
Hope that helps! :)
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