Creating a Pathway to Your Dream Career

CHAPTER 10

Your First Job as Launchpad for a Lifelong Career

Steps 15 Through 20

70 percent of American workers are “not engaged” or “actively disengaged” and are emotionally disconnected from their workplaces

—Gallup “2013 State of the American Workplace Report”

Key Points

• Think of your first job as a launch pad for your career.

• The best jobs will be those you make, not those you take.

• Learning opportunities and doing what you love should be your primary criteria for your first job—not salary.

• While internal advancement opportunities are certainly important, long-term marketability of your first job experiences is critical.

• Are you best suited to a large and mature, small and high-growth, or your own company? ...