Giving Compass' Take:

· Writing for Fast Company, Anisa Purbasari Horton provides five tips for readers on how to advance your career in at an entry-level position. 

· What are some challenges employees face at entry-level positions? What are some ways new employees can impress their bosses? 

· Here's how volunteering can advance your career. 

In the ideal world, post-collegiate life comes with a job offer related to your major. In that perfect entry-level job, you are given the guidance to move up in the company and advance your career.

Of course, this scenario is, well, unrealistic. No matter how hard you work in college, landing a job in your desired industry post-graduation is not guaranteed. And it’s not always because you lack the skills and experience either, sometimes there’s too many candidates for too few entry level jobs, or companies you want to work for just don’t have the budget to hire and train someone new right now.

Whatever the reason–sometimes you just have to take a job that’s not exactly what you set out to do. But is it possible to still advance in your career when you’re stuck (for now) in a crappy entry-level job? I asked career professionals who’d gone through career changes themselves–here’s what they said:

  1. Treat your job like it's your dream job
  2. Take on challenging projects
  3. Make an effort to network with your coworkers
  4. Stat a side project related to your desired industry
  5. When you leave, make sure you have a good story

Read the full article about advancing your career by Anisa Purbasari Horton at Fast Company.