By Laura Dragonette, Carolina Communications Manager

In today's economy, it takes a lot of time, effort, and trial and error to end up in a career you love. If you're not quite there yet, it's important to take advantage of every possible opportunity. If you're not taking advantage of your "first" job out of college, your "temporary" gig, or your internship, you're likely missing out valuable career experiences.

Many people discount the importance of that "first" or "temporary" job, the one that isn't in their field or with the company they had in mind. They consider it to be no more than a means to an end, or a placeholder while they search for something more ideal. What they don't consider are the possibilities and training that even the most remote jobs can supply.

Consider the experiences you take with you.

That retail job in college taught valuable customer service skills that can be translated to a future management position. Your first office job armed you with the interpersonal and multi-tasking skills that could land you a great starting position in your dream company.

Consider the people you meet.

Get to know the people you work with on a friendly, professional level and you may emerge from that job with a great reference or recommendation. Any job can be a networking opportunity if you're open to the possibility.

Every job provides opportunity for learning experiences. The key is learning how to cater the skills you learn in one job to the career you want. Keep your end goal in mind and do everything in your power to make it happen.

Laura can be reached at vicepresident at stc-carolina dot org.