My First Job: Terry Pile, career counselor

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August 20, 2006

My First Job: Terry Pile, career counselor

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Terry Pile

Current position: Career counselor.

First job: The summer after I graduated from Indiana University with a bachelor's degree in education, I worked as a cashier at Kmart in the lingerie department. I spent my days off introducing myself to principals at the local elementary schools in an effort to get a teaching job. Some referred me to human resources, but most were happy to chat and show me around their schools. When the academic year started in September, one of those principals called and offered me a second-grade/third-grade teaching position.

What I learned: Getting the job you want requires tenacity and creativity. You can't depend on the human-resources department alone when you are looking for a job. You have got to be proactive and unconventional. That's how I was able to transition from teaching to marketing to career counseling. Now I teach people how to market themselves in the workplace.

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