By: A UNO Student at the University of Nebraska at Omaha, as part of Heather Nelson’s Service Learning Academy class.
So many people are lost or confused when it comes to their future and their career. It really helps you stand out for potential employers if you have done a few things before even filling out an application to any place. The first thing that will really help you out is to write down your core values and beliefs, from there you should also write down things that you are passionate about, finally you should write down anything that you have done that relates to your passions. From there it is easy to start to see where you want to begin your job search. For me personally I value relationships with people, I am passionate about helping people and selling things, and my experience in that area is customer service, as well as a former small business owner that focused on selling goods. Now the next step in Career Planning is to now look for jobs that sort of fit your passion. Some easy ways of finding those jobs would be to go online, but the easiest way is to attend the Level-Up Labor Day job fair where all jobs have a $16 an hour starting minimum. In my personal example I am going to the Level-Up job fair to help me find a job that aligns with my passions. The last step to career planning has always been the struggle for me, because self-reflection is not easy. But this is where you envision you have your foot in the door at the company you want to work for, now you decide what you want to do internally, are you ambitious enough to try to get all the way to the top of the promotional ladder? Or are you ok where you are. One of the big self-reflection pieces is when people look at the money that they need each month. I know money can be a big motivator for people and at this job fair we guarantee that only places that are starting at $16 an hour are allowed to be there trying to hire new employees. We want you to have a livable wage and be able to go out and do the things that you enjoy!
Career planning is not something that should only be done once in your life, it is a continuous cycle, the things you are passionate about today you may not be passionate about in 10 years, or the world may change due to something like the Covid Pandemic and shift needs. For myself I have even changed career paths while in college, it is ok to change your mind on where you want to go in life.
If you are reading this blog then you have already taken the best first step in Leveling Up your career! This career fair is the best first step to start working a real career with job growth opportunities instead of just working a dead-end job just barely surviving paycheck to paycheck. Just remember at the end of the day, it is never too late to start looking for that new Level Up opportunity and to find a career that you are actually happy with!