May is the season of graduation. It’s a time when caps are tossed in the air and the “real world” begins. I remember that mix of excitement and anxiety well, and looking back, there’s a lot I wish I had understood before starting my career.
Since then, I’ve worked across multiple roles, changed career paths more than once, partnered with career coaches, and even hired professionals to review my resume — constantly trying to figure out what actually moves the needle. What I’ve learned is that building a career is about more than landing a job. These are the lessons I’ve learned along the way:
Timing is everything
Anytime I’ve asked about my job search, people are quick to share advice like:
“It’s all about who you know.”
“Don’t underestimate the power of informational interviews.”
“Emphasize your transferable skills!”
“If you want to learn certain skills, figure out ways to do it through your current job.”
These nuggets of wisdom aren’t bad, but what they don’t take into account is timing. You may have great contacts or had an excellent rapport with someone from an informational interview, but if these connections don’t know of or have any current openings it’s tough to land a job. And if you’re changing careers, sticking to old or current networks usually doesn’t lead to the path you want.
Does this mean you shouldn’t take any of these steps? Not at all. Informational interviews, networking, and building transferable skills can help you stay prepared for when the right opportunity does open up. They also give you a sense of momentum while you’re waiting, shifting your focus from frustration to growth. By continuing to learn, connect, and refine your skills, you’re not standing still — you’re setting yourself up to move quickly when timing finally works in your favor.
When changing my career, I expanded my network by attending events and reaching out to people on LinkedIn who are in production. With each connection, I learned more about what I don’t want and who might be a better fit for answers to my questions. Before I decided to become a producer, I set up informational interviews with photographers, graphic designers, and video editors. After talking with a video editor, I realized how much time they spent alone. Although they preferred that lifestyle, I knew it would be too isolating for me and that I enjoyed problem-solving and working together with people to reach a common goal. That’s when I knew I needed to be a producer (or a preditor).
When I started seeking opportunities in production, I went to events for photographers, videographers, and filmmakers. Although I enjoyed the people I met, many of them were freelancers with small businesses and hadn’t worked with a producer. Many weren’t sure how they could help me. Now I’m much more selective about the events I attend and focus on ones for advertising where I can meet creative directors, art directors, and other producers.
Instead of treating informational interviews as a direct path to a job, use them to uncover where you can gain hands-on experience. When I was in school, I often worked on small teams that didn’t give me many chances to deepen specific skills, so I started asking people where I could get more practice — whether through weekend projects or evening gigs. Those conversations helped me find opportunities to grow, not just job leads.
Although these steps may not lead to a job right away, finding your people and knowing which skills you need to enhance will ensure you’re ready when an opportunity opens up. And, if you’ve been looking for a while and haven’t heard from anyone, take a break. Go do something you enjoy. In my experience, that’s when someone will follow-up and the timing will align because you’re not thinking about it.
Know what you want before you reach out
For over twenty years, I’ve had many in-person, phone, and virtual conversations with people from a variety of backgrounds, professions, and career stages. Each one shared valuable insights and ideas, but as my experience grew, I eventually hit a point where my knowledge surpassed their advice.
Don’t get me wrong. I think guidance is important at any career stage. After many chats, I found that I had already considered or taken the suggestions from informational interviews. When talking to other producers, I’d chime in with my own stories and many people replied, “Sounds like you have a wealth of experience!” That’s when I realized I had to change my outreach.
To make my outreach more intentional, I created a simple chart outlining who I wanted to connect with, why I was reaching out, and how high of a priority each contact was. When reaching out to other professionals in production such as creative directors, I ask questions about what makes someone succeed in production and what they look for when working with producers. When connecting with other producers, I share my experience to give context, then ask thoughtful questions about how I can continue to grow and position myself for what’s next.
Reaching out can be intimidating, but it feels less overwhelming if you define what you want ahead of time. Don’t get discouraged if you don’t hear back. Sometimes you have to follow-up. And if it doesn’t work out, either it wasn’t meant to be or it wasn’t the right time.
Make meaningful connections
When I graduated from college, I was given a lot of advice about relationship-building like: “Don’t burn your bridges, you never know when you’re going to need them” and “Work them contacts!” I took this to mean I should be fiercely loyal to everyone who crossed my path, even if they were disrespectful or took advantage of my kindness.
Even though you should strive to maintain professional relationships, that doesn’t mean you should avoid advocating for yourself or compromise yourself to build a professional relationship. If people are mean to you at work, it often doesn’t have anything to do with you personally. Most of the time they’re projecting their insecurities on you or taking out their frustrations.
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Realizing why people treat you this way can help you figure out how to respond and set boundaries in an assertive way. Write down decisions from your conversations with people and confirm what you discussed so everyone is on the same page.
Building a professional network isn’t about chasing opportunities — it’s about building real relationships. Earlier in my career, I was encouraged to reach out to people at companies where I applied and frame it as a casual exchange of ideas. Then I was told to ask for an informational interview. While that approach sometimes worked, it often felt transactional, and in today’s job market, people are more cautious about those kinds of requests.
Eventually I shifted my approach and came prepared with a short, thoughtful list of questions and gave people the space to set boundaries around what they’re comfortable discussing. Being upfront builds trust and leads to more genuine conversations because meaningful connections aren’t built on strategy, they’re built on honesty.
It's also important to take time to connect with people outside of your professional life. Find and go to meetups for hobbies to establish a separation between your personal and professional life. Meeting more like-minded people at activities outside of work provides you the time away that you need. At many of these events I’ve found people outside of my job who help me focus on my personal enjoyment instead of the workplace.
You don’t have to follow a linear career path
One thing I often hear from my conversations with other people is that not everyone has a straight-forward career path. Some people took unusual turns or had to pivot because their company or personal life changed. Not everyone goes to college, gets a degree, and gets a job in the field they work in.
If your career path changes, you’re not alone. According to LinkedIn data, professionals entering the workforce today may hold nearly twice as many jobs over their careers as those starting out over a decade ago.
I’ve made many changes myself and often wondered: How does this amount to a career? I feared that my professional choices would hinder me. Why would someone want to hire me without a traditional career path?
Over time, I’ve come to realize that the problem isn’t me. It’s how we’re conditioned to think about a career and what defines success. Now, I look at my career and think of it as a “career portfolio” instead of a “career path.”
Viewing my trajectory as a portfolio with a never-ending source of discovery and fulfillment has left me much more satisfied. Learning and growth doesn’t end at school or when you land a job, it’s something that evolves your whole life — and your career should too.
In today’s market it’s tough to get hiring managers and recruiters to look beyond how your resume matches a job description. It’s tiring to stress over what employers want. That’s why I started focusing on a career portfolio over a linear path. It’s empowered me to see the value I bring to a position and how I can optimize my resume so it aligns with what employers seek.
All of my experiences as a theater technician and digital marketer have been essential for my work as a producer. I understand how much work and how many people it takes to make something happen. My previous jobs have taught me essential skills from negotiating to juggling requests from different departments to learning all of the details that go on behind-the-scenes. These are all skills a producer needs to do their job effectively. When I think of my career this way instead of a linear timeline, I see how it all connects and what makes me valuable.
We’re all replaceable
Growing up I was told that if I loved my job, I wouldn’t have to work a day in my life. When I started working, I went over, above, and beyond the call of duty, hoping that I would receive the same recognition from my job. I believed that the more I gave, the more admiration I would receive and the less likely I would lose my job because I was so reliable.
Doing more work outside of your scope of responsibilities doesn’t always lead to more compensation and doesn’t safeguard you from being replaced. It’s also been proven that managers often exploit loyal employees and don’t view them differently from less committed colleagues.
If you find yourself giving into the pressure to take on more work, remember Celeste Headlee’s advice:
“Be kinder to yourself. Working longer hours is not likely to bring you significant bumps in pay, but it will take a toll on your well-being. Answering emails in your off-hours is having a more damaging impact on your life than you realize.”
The reality is, no matter how much you love your job, your team, or your managers, employment is never guaranteed. Companies shift priorities, budgets change, and projects get cut — often for reasons completely outside your control. Being replaceable isn’t a reflection of your value; it’s the nature of how businesses operate.
That’s why it’s important not to tie your self-worth to your job. When things don’t work out, especially in difficult work environments, it’s easy to internalize it as failure. I’ve been there, questioning my own abilities and wondering what I could have done differently. And while there are always lessons to take from any experience, it doesn’t mean you’re the reason something didn’t succeed.
I’ve had roles end not because of performance, but because a company needed full-time support when I couldn’t provide it, or because the work itself was seasonal. Those moments reinforced that sometimes things simply don’t align and that’s okay. Mistakes will happen, and not every project will succeed, but those experiences are part of growth, not a measure of your worth.
Caring about your work and the people you collaborate with is a good thing. It’s often what makes a role feel fulfilling and worth your energy. But that’s another reason why it’s important to create a healthy separation between your work and your personal life. When your job is meaningful, it’s easier to stay grounded and recognize that your value isn’t defined solely by what you do, but also by who you are outside of it.
A dream job isn’t the end goal
Throughout my life, I’ve been asked: “What are your goals?” It’s always a good idea to know where you want to go, but many times we’re not told how to determine if our goals no longer serve us. You change as you get older and learn, and your goals need to evolve with you.
You may decide your career goal doesn’t work for you anymore, and that's 100% acceptable. Sometimes you outgrow dreams, which is why it’s good to embrace unexpected opportunities and trust in your ability to adapt and thrive in new environments.
When I started my career as a theater technician, I set goals to work at certain companies. Within 5 years I accomplished that, so I started researching schools for a master’s degree in design or production. I talked with a few colleagues who had become designers or advanced their production role and took a couple of community college courses. I quickly realized this was not the path for me.
After I decided to change my career, I began meeting with career counselors, taking classes that sparked my interest, and interning. I eventually went back to school for my masters degree and launched a career in nonprofit marketing. Everything felt right and in its place. Then, my priorities changed.
During graduate school, I wanted to learn more about video. When I started working, I asked to be more involved in video production and became the go-to person for photo and video.
At times I wondered if something was wrong with me because I changed careers so many times or struggled to land that elusive “dream job.” The reality is, how you feel about your career changes because what you want changes. Even if you do get that “dream job,” you’ll outgrow it at some point.
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I’ve changed my focus from pursuing the perfect job to finding jobs that are fulfilling. Jobs are not perfect. Every company has its pitfalls. Dreams are fleeting. You don’t have to have everything figured out and get that “dream job” when you get your diploma. Things will happen when it’s time.
To new graduates: As you embark on this new chapter in your life, remember that this is just the beginning. There will be many opportunities, challenges, and adventures that lie ahead. Stay open, stay curious, and trust that each step, no matter how uncertain, will shape a path that’s uniquely yours.
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