Helping Her Sister Out of Career Limbo

I think it’s great when family members help each other out, so kudos to you, Karen. At this point in your sister’s life, the degree is of more importance than her major to employers… thus, her career options are almost limitless. She’s also not alone — I’ve met too many store clerks with a bachelor’s degree who dislike their jobs and wonder about the value of their education.

I suggest that your sister first take some time to think about the things she likes to do — what activities, skills, etc., does she enjoy? If she needs help with this exercise, she may want to try out some of the resources available at Quintessential Careers: Career Exploration Tools. Then she needs to find the types of jobs that use those skills. She may need additional training or education, but it totally depends on what she discovers.

Finally, she is going to need to work on her resume — perhaps changing the format to a chrono-functional rather than chronological — to stress the value of her transferable skills.