Usually, obtaining a college degree allows a person to begin a career in their chosen field. But, what happens when the degree earned is so specific that it makes finding work difficult? The strategies below can help you broaden your career choices and make your education more useful to you in the long run.

Volunteer
In many cases, overcoming the limitations of a specialized degree can be accomplished by getting experience in other, more general areas. Unfortunately, this experience can be difficult to obtain when you cannot get hired. You must find other ways to get experience. Consider volunteering at non-profit organizations. For example, if you received a degree in Hospital Finance, but are having difficulty getting hired at a hospital, consider volunteering your time with a local charitable organization, serve on the finance committee at your church, or become the treasurer of your child’s Parent Teacher Association, Boy Scout Troop, or Little League Association. Non-profit organizations will benefit from your education, while you will gain much needed experience in an area other than hospital finance.

Freelance
Look for freelance opportunities whenever you can. This will allow you to earn some side income, while building your experience. Various freelance opportunities are available depending on your chosen field, including, but not limited to, writing, teaching, information technology (IT), and accounting.

Advanced Degrees
Another consideration for broadening your options is to obtain an advanced degree. For example, in the Hospital Finance degree scenario previously mentioned, a master’s degree in accounting could help create more job opportunities. This advanced degree would broaden your opportunities to include nearly any company or industry that hires accountants.

Obtain Certifications
Many careers, such as accounting and IT, have certifications available for professionals. Continuing with the Hospital Finance degree example, our fictional job seeker could apply for a master in accounting or study and take the Certified Public Accountant (CPA) exam. Becoming a CPA will provide numerous job opportunities and give you information about finance and accounting you may not already know like this bitcoin infographic. Likewise, if a job seeker’s IT degree is overly specialized, there are many IT related certifications available that could help improve job prospects.

Job Counseling
You may need to seek the help of a job counselor if you still have trouble finding work after graduation. These individuals specialize in providing feedback and advice for obtaining a job and advancing your career.

A specialized degree need not stop you from obtaining a job. Focus on obtaining more general experience through volunteering and freelancing, consider additional education, research certifications available in your desired field, and, if necessary, seek job counseling.