With only 34% of employed U.S. adults feeling engaged in their work (State of the American Workplace, Gallup, 2018), too many people are essentially sleep-walking through their working lives. Engaged workers, on the other hand, find meaning in their work, go the extra mile on the job, and experience a sense of connection to their careers. As students, recent graduates, and young adults explore career options and make decisions about work in which they can thrive, they have an opportunity to keep themselves from joining the disengaged majority.

Choosing a career direction that fits, and landing internships or jobs, can be daunting tasks. Few of us are born with an innate calling to an occupation or profession, and even fewer of us come into this world knowing how to get a resume picked up by applicant tracking software or having our first words as toddlers be a concise “elevator pitch”!

Making the business of career development even more difficult is the rapidly changing nature of work. It’s the problem of the “ations.” Automation, digitization, robotization, Uberization, and globalization are touching nearly every career field and every job. Throw in some algorithms that can make or break your LinkedIn profile’s visibility and face the age-old dreaded “So, tell me about yourself…” interview prompt, and a young person may decide it’s easier to live back home in the basement forever. This is not the return on investment most parents had in mind when they sent their children to college.

The good news is that employers are increasingly concerned with soft skills, not just technical ones. Analytical thinking, creativity, emotional intelligence, and active learning are only a few of the qualities employers are predicting will help them lead their organizations to success into the early 2020s (Future of Jobs Report 2018, World Economic Forum). This levels the playing field for computer science and philosophy majors, mechanical engineers and English majors, and anyone who struggles to make a career choice or market themselves to employers.

The other good news is that career planning and job search are learned skills, able to be nurtured with the help of experienced career counselors and job search coaches. We at The Bertram Group view career guidance services as a major need and a natural extension of our school, college, and therapeutic consulting. To address this need we have partnered with a leading nationwide firm that specializes in providing concierge-level career services to the student and young adult population, many of whom are Bertram Group clients.

To learn more about how we can help you in this endeavor please fill out and submit the form below. One of our career guidance specialists will be in touch shortly.