Dear CareerBabe:

I have a B.A. in Social Science, but am unable to get a career that is in my field. Do you have any suggestions? I can't afford further schooling at this time, but I do tell employers that I would be willing to get more schooling if hired. I am very discouraged.

Dear "Bites":

I am not sure if you had to get a job outside your field just so you could start earning some money, or if you actually want to develop a career inside your field of study. If you want to work in your areas of study but you had to get a job outside that area just to earn some money, keep your hand in the pot by:

• volunteering,
• doing an unpaid internship or research in addition to your job, or
• taking on a "second job" where you keep on working in your chosen field until you get the requisite experience under your belt.

Remember, if "everyone" does say you need more education to do a certain job than you currently have, the chances are they are correct, and you will need more education. (I define "everyone" with a sample of 6 - 10 people, so if they are all saying the same thing, changes are they are correct!)

If however you are trying to get a job outside your field, be aware that everyone who goes to school does not necessarily work in a specific field and most employers know that. Example: Archaeology major who becomes a business executive in the transportation field; English major who becomes a doctor; Chemistry major who becomes an actress. College is a place for general studies and not a vocational training school.

When you interview, rather than emphasizing a specific field of study or a specific industry, seek situations that will BROADEN your base of knowledge in ways that will enhance your career and get you jobs where you can keep on growing in the future.

Questions you should be asking your employer in interviews are:

• what will I learn here that will help me establish a career in (for example) marketing - regardless of the industry?
• will the company encourage me to take courses and get further training?
• will I be encouraged to learn how to make decisions and take on greater responsibilities?
• what specifically will I be asked to do the first day I get here, in 3 months, in a year?

Then, what you want to emphasize with your potential employer is:

• your ability to learn new things - quickly!
• your grade point average if you did well
• your ability to get along with people (if your studies involved this skill)
• your ability to communicate, to read and write correct English

Where I think you are tripping yourself up in general is by having too few job interviews and therefore too few opportunities to choose from. What happens in your current situation is that when you interview with too few opportunities, it is the employer and not you who makes the decisions.

What would help you is to have more job interviews and therefore more opportunities for you to choose from. So, my question to you is: Are you doing enough work to get enough interviews and opportunities going so that when employers interview you, they know you are a candidate in demand???

Wishing you good luck,