Since we have a good thread going about college applications, I thought it would be worthwhile to have a space dedicated to discussing the professional side of life. Most career paths aren't linear (or require a degree), and I think it's worthwhile for people to share their journeys to show how they got where they are now. Similarly, anyone looking for advice on how to do things like develop a resume, negotiate salaries, or change industries is welcome to chime in and ask questions.
I currently work as a Talent Acquisition Consultant, where my days are spent teaching non-technical employees how to "talk tech" to recruit individuals for roles in Data/Computer Science and the like. Recruitment is a great industry to work in if customer service is something you enjoy, and most companies don't require college degrees for entry-level positions. I started my career as a Sourcing Specialist interviewing people for entry-level retail jobs after graduating college, then spent time working in Business Intelligence and Performance Management for two years before returning to talent acquisition in my current role. I wholeheartedly believe my time spent in Business Intelligence is what allowed me to move from recruiting people for retail jobs to technical jobs, as it gave me the chance to get involved in that industry and better understand what motivates people with that skill set to take on a new role.
I have seen other people with a knack for data analysis do amazingly as talent acquisition specialists, even outside of technical recruitment, mostly because leveraging data as part of the decision-making process is a relatively new concept to the industry. However, the other side of that coin alludes to a generational divide in how willing people are to embrace and use new technology. This has put me at odds with my managers in the past, as they can be hesitant to try out new recruitment techniques, and may be unable to analyze data that would articulate the benefits of trying new things. Tactful explanation is something I rely on heavily, as there are days when I feel like I'm trying to "pull blood from a stone", and my ideas or suggestions can fall on deaf ears. Still, though, the opportunity to adapt and improvise processes and help people find better jobs makes those days bearable.
In the future, I'd love to see myself move from recruitment back into technology, but feel like I may be fighting an uphill battle in order to change industries. My day job doesn't use the same skill set that I'd need in that industry, but I do spend time outside of work fuddling around with code and building macros in Excel. I've been trying to find coding lessons online, but I find myself losing motivation when I move from following tutorials to writing my own code.
If anyone out there has made the leap into tech without a degree, I'd love to hear your story! And if anyone is looking for someone to give their resume a review, feel free to shoot me a message; I'm happy to help however I can.
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