How can your work experience shape your career?
Work experience can be valuable to help shape your career. In this blog I look at how any job or experience you have is valuable. Even if at the time it may not seem that way.
Here are 3 main points to think about when it comes to how work experience can shape your career.
1. Every job has value- Every job has amazing skills that can be applied and transferred elsewhere. Just because a job doesn't have high qualifications doesn't mean the job is unworthy or not valuable. I think a lot of people feel despondent if they didn’t go to university or didn’t do something that requires study. The truth is all jobs require a level of skill and knowledge so it’s important you remember this.
2. Respect jobs based on skills not qualification. - You should value your experience and qualifications but don't judge someone for working in Tesco or being a cleaner. Value their skills and what they do too. Experience especially life experience and how you communicate with others helps you see and learn a lot about someone. If you like reading but didn’t get the opportunity or due to circumstance to study or get qualifications that doesn’t mean you don’t have important skills that you can build on. Qualifications are standardized in the UK especially but it’s also important to not discount what you have learnt and what makes you stand out.
3. Focus on your transferable skills- What skills do have you that can be implemented in a new job role or career. If you have a high level of communication skills and teamwork and you want it retrain its important to use these skills you already have and work towards what you want.
So I hope this blog post gives you some food thought but also makes you realize that not only is every job valuable but if you are prepared to work hard you may need to take on jobs that aren't always for you. Sometimes it may even be for short while but if so that’s OK.
If you are curious to find out more about if Qualifications matter dependent on career of course please listen to this podcast episode that I created around this topic here
Would love to find out what you think about Qualifications and your experiences of job opportunities based on skills vs qualifications please let us know your thoughts in the comments below 👇.