Julie Skowronek is the Marketing Coordinator for Whiting Consulting. She is a recent graduate from State University of New York at Geneseo, where she received her B.S. in Business Administration with a focus in marketing. Julie also earned the Emerald Employee Development Leadership Certificate.

We all know that in life, we come across many unexpected paths that can help guide us in the right direction later in the future. Not only can this happen in our personal lives, but also in our careers. Sometimes it’s good not to be too picky about where you want to go, or what you want to do – but to keep an open mind of what comes your way next.

My own goal upon graduation was to secure a position in sports management/marketing, mainly because that is where all my passion and interest laid. I decided to keep my options open outside of sports, because it is possible to find another favorite niche you wouldn’t have even thought about before! That’s how I got to be where I am today in the HR/recruiting/social media/marketing world.

Even though I knew very little about the industry, I buried myself in reading books, blogs, and articles so I could gain a hefty amount of knowledge to always show my best. I still continue to learn every day: do research, read, attend webinars, and ask questions. I quickly got to the point – just a few months after graduation – where I was conducting interviews!  I never expected to perform that important task so soon after graduation! I’m very grateful for my Human Resources class, which I thought I would never have used such a large amount of what I learned in that class.

From personal experience, I’ve found that many things come when you least expect it. I know of others who decide to stay in a particular industry, even though they have a great skill set for a variety of industries. In the end, they miss out on fantastic career advancements by limiting their options. My advice is to learn everything you possibly can and keep your mind open to any fresh opportunities/industries for continued growth in your career. Here are a few pointers to keep in mind for your career search and growth:

1. Remember to keep an open mind, and always keep learning…every day! You never know when you’re going to use that extra knowledge – maybe tomorrow or next week…
2. Listen and get feedback from others in your industry. Everyone has a different view about success in their industry. If you take all the knowledge you can, and transform it into something a bit different and your own style – the sky’s the limit!
3. You’ll come across many opportunities to change your career path. See every new opportunity given to you as the only chance you have to continually improve weaknesses, and broaden your strengths.

Instead of “seizing the day,” Seize the opportunity!! No one should be afraid of a new door opening in their career. Remember not to think in short-term in your career goals, but focus on where new skills can take you. There’s a possibility to find the unexpected in a new career field, and a new sense of happiness that can develop into a passion!