Five Smart Moves for Liberal Arts Grads

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But what happens when the career footsteps of family members or close friends lead you in an undesirable direction and you've exhausted your external fan base? Don't balk at talking with people outside your immediate social circle.

Sure, you're most likely to find good connections among colleagues in your professional association. But you can often find help in the most unlikely places. Ray ultimately found his way to a position as Indiana Jones' stunt double through his hair stylist. The stylist didn't personally know who was running auditions. But he was, in Malcolm Gladwell's vernacular, a "connector."

Identify your competence gaps

One of the best ways to get ahead in your career is to look not just one step ahead, but several. Find your ideal job and work backward. Assess what required skills, abilities, and aptitudes you already have, and identify the areas in which you need to develop.

After seeing a teenage friend die of leukemia, Brad knew he wanted to alleviate unnecessary suffering on a worldwide scale—a lofty goal, indeed. With a degree in biology, Brad had a good academic background, but he needed practical experience in a number of areas. Since graduation, he has systematically identified and eliminated his competence gaps by working in the pharmaceutical and financial industries and volunteering in a foundation that awards funds for health-related projects.

Find your hook

Once you've found your ideal position, how do you stand out from the crowd? Sometimes simple things will make the difference, like sending handwritten thank-you letters immediately after an interview, or researching your interviewer's background on the Web. Other times, your strategy needs to be a little more creative. Chris knew his chances of being selected for a highly competitive Foreign Service officer position were small unless he could find a hook. Rejected the first time around, Chris increased his chances when reapplying by learning Arabic through a Peace Corps assignment to Morocco.

All graduates, no matter what their educational background, can benefit from studying the career success of others. If you're a liberal arts grad, take some time to find out how people whose careers have meaning for you managed to get where they are. The more you know about the career paths of those you admire, the better able you will be to find your own direction.

Sheila Curran, who writes "Curran on Careers" for businessweek.com/managing/ , has more than 25 years' experience in human resources and career coaching and is currently executive director of the Duke University Career Center. She is co-author of Smart Moves for Liberal Arts Grads: Finding a Path to Your Perfect Career.