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What Can I Do With This Major?

 

WELCOME ADULT STUDENTS!

As an adult student, you may have additional questions about things such as:

How do I make a career transition or choose a new occupation?
How do I market myself in a new job if I have no experience or
if my past experience doesn't match my new career direction?
What do I do with my resume and what form should it take since my work experience doesn't match my new career choice?
Won't my fellow graduates be more desirable in the job market since they are younger?

Click the above questions or scroll down for the answers!


How do I make a career transition or choose a new occupation?

Making a career transition or choosing a new occupation can be a scary thing. As adult students, you may have issues that your "traditional" student counterparts will not face, for instance, a family that relies on you for time and both emotional and financial support, or a more definite salary requirement. With your experience, you may also have more opinions about what type of work is most suitable for you. You may also have a clear set of values that will heavily influence what you do in your next career incarnation.

Making a career transition or choosing a new occupation can be a scary thing -- BUT IT NEED NOT BE!

The counselors at the PEP Office can assist you with organizing your skills, interests and values and help you take other factors into consideration to help you find a career path that will fit you and your lifestyle best. Through discussion and possibly career assessment, you and your counselor will discover your strengths and help you learn about and understand the vast world of work and where you will fit in.

Please contact us at 516.299.2251 for an appointment with a counselor who will help point you in a new career direction (all services are free through 1 year after graduation!) Click here for more information on making a career transition, career change, or choosing a major.


How do I market myself in a new job if I have no experience or
if my past experience doesn't match my new career direction?

The key phrase to remember is transferable skills! Transferable skills are those general skills that you have that can be used in any work situation. For instance:

Communication Skills
Persuading Skills
Leadership/Management Skills
Instructional Skills
Human Relations Skills
Decision Making Skills
Numerical Skills
Consulting Skills
Computer Skills
Creative Skills

These are general types of transferable skills. Take a moment to see if you can list more specific skills you have in each category (for example, more specific persuading skills may be: selling, influencing others, building rapport, or negotiating). Each one of us has examples both in our business and/or personal life of using one or more of these types of skills successfully. The answer then is to use your past successes to market yourself for the future.

If you need further assistance with this exercise or if you would like to discuss it with someone, please contact the PEP office at 516.299.2251 for an appointment with a career counselor. Please identify yourself as an adult student.


What do I do with my resume and what form should it take since my work experience doesn't match my new career choice?

Your resume will be and is a very important document that will outline your qualifications for your next employer. What do you do to your resume to make it look relevant to your new endeavors? This is a very individual thing and each person will have different needs in adding to or redeveloping their resume. Some new grads will just add a new degree to their listing while others may be aided more by moving to a functional style resume. For personal attention to revise your resume, contact the PEP office at 516.299.2251 for an appointment with a career counselor. (We help with cover letters and interviewing too!)


Won't my fellow graduates be more desirable in the job market
since they are younger?

This is a tough thought to deal with. To be straight, there is some unavoidable ageism out in the world that is very hard to prove. But consider this -- most employers are reputable and know that they must hire individuals based on their skill level.

Let's face it, while you may be older you are most likely more experienced and skilled at using your strengths effectively in the real world. Employers need this. Look at job listings, they are primarily asking for people with EXPERIENCE. You may be just finishing a degree, but you have a leg up by having life experience and have already proven yourself in the world! Another thing to consider is that many of the dot.coms started by twenty and thirty-somethings that survived the bust had consultants on staff that had years of business and life experience to help them navigate the treaterous economic situation. EXPERIENCE IS NOTICED AND APPRECIATED BY THE BUSINESS WORLD. So, relax a little, it isn't as bad as you think...

If you still feel like you need more support and would like to talk to a career counselor about helping an interviewer look past your age and focus on your skills contact PEP at 516.299.2251.


The PEP office and Adult Student Services can assist you with a variety of decisions and issues related to your education and future career planning.

PEP is located in Kumble Hall on the Lower Level. Call 516.299.2251 for more info.
Adult Student Services is located on the 2nd floor of the Administration Bldg.
Call 516-299-2445