Looking for a job? Consider building your career foundation!

It's graduation season--and I know for many grads that brings a lot of anxiety. New grads are facing a different job climate. Not necessarily the worst, but it's different...and there are some new rules to play by.

One of those rules is to consider a foundation job. I've been writing a lot about this lately, primarily because I feel it is so important. "Foundation jobs" are jobs that you may not consider. You may have your eyes on a swanky gig or even a practical entry-level job, but sometimes--especially in some industries--those jobs aren't possible, at least right now (due to the economy or other reasons). So you may find that you have to wait it out till the job climate improves. But that doesn't mean you should sacrifice your career.

In the meantime you can build important skill sets--something you should do with a first job anyway--to help you build for the future. Why? Well, right now, your next move is more about laying groundwork for the career you want and less about actually having it.

Foundation jobs are typically full-time, require a college degree, offer stable pay and benefits, and will enable you to build skills. You may think the degree is enough, but it doesn't give you professional experience or skills. You have to now leverage the degree to build those skills. The skills are the foundation!

Here's an example: If you’re an English major and you want to be a reporter, you may not be able to become a journalist right now--the media industry is hurting. A foundation job would be taking a job as a marketing assistant at a well-known company. You may work for a newspaper, which would be the ideal spot for a journalist...but you could also consider working for a private company or agency in its marketing department. You can still write there and build important skills. Jobs like this look great on your resume, and right now you're building that, too.

The point is, taking a foundation job is better than going back to your old high school job. With a foundation job, you cultivate your skills and make a decent amount of money so you can start paying off all those fun college loans, too. See what I mean? Foundation jobs are practical.

(And they don't necessarily pay horribly, either. In fact, that journalist will probably make more at a foundation job than an entry-level reporter.)

Think about your alternatives. Keep your eye on your dream but be practical. What skills do YOU need to get to where you want to go? Write them down and then look at some other jobs that will enable you to foster them.

Again, still apply for the job you really want if you know what that is. But don't discount a foundation job. After all, you worked really hard for your degree and you can still put it to work for you even if you're not doing what you love right now.

(And remember: Even grads in the best economies had to start from the ground up.)