The Skidmore College Career Development Center believes that the principals of the Chaos Theory of Careers to be most applicable for liberal arts students in the current economic climate. In this model, career development is recognized as a dynamic system characterized by complexity, interconnectedness, and susceptibility to change.

The following is part of the CDC’s Encouraging Stories Series featuring members of the Class of 2009.  During the last major economic downturn, these individuals exhibited these characteristics as they navigated the early stages of their own careers.  Below are stories and advice in their own words.

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Rachel Downes '09 studied art history and psychology at Skidmore. She is now a director of project management in Brooklyn, New York.  

In what ways has your career path since Skidmore been non-linear? How did your Skidmore experience inform this path? 

At Skidmore I was incredibly focused on working in the art world and started my career in museums. While a student, I took advantage of a multitude of experiences to determine what sector of art I wanted to go into (worked at the Tang, interning at the local non-profit arts organization, starting a program for Art students to exhibit on campus, ran the arts review magazine, etc). I ended up working in museum collections for a couple years then transitioned into art consulting and then decided to ultimately break from art. I had been very focused and reached a point where I wasn't excited about it or challenged in the way I wanted to be anymore. Building multidimensional core skills such as an organizational aptitude, attention to detail, and creative problem solving benefited me greatly to transition from being deep in the art world to practically any industry. I hopped around in similar project manager/operations manager roles across executive recruiting, a large law firm, a radio network, and landed in advertising which brought me back to a somewhat creative environment that I had missed. I think more than the skills, the ability to adapt and pivot seamlessly has been at the root of my ability to change paths so much  

What kinds of knowledge or skills did you unexpectedly use to navigate a difficult economic period? 

Creativity and adaptability.

I haven't had a strong direction in my career since leaving the art world but I have understood more about the core functions of a job that I enjoy. I've researched industries and jobs and made a point to seek out conversations with people along the way to determine if certain industries might be a good fit. Taking initiative and being willing to probe and gather information as a part of the process is key to growing your network and building a foundation for your path.  

What insights or advice do you have for others with similar backgrounds, or pursuing a similar path? 

Try to look for the secondary and tertiary paths. It's easy to get tunnel vision when you're focused on one goal but there are endless branches that surround that path that could provide exciting and surprising opportunities to explore.