After graduating with a biology degree, he spent some time working at Target.
At face value, that doesn’t look connected to his degree at all. If anything, it’s the kind of job people feel the need to explain quickly. The conversation usually turns into something like, “I’m just doing this for now while I figure things out.”
But Joshua didn’t talk about it that way.
When he described that experience, he focused on the skills the job actually required. Paying attention to details. Following procedures. Handling inventory accurately. Working within systems where small mistakes can create bigger problems later.
Once you hear it framed that way, the connection becomes obvious.
Those are the same habits that show up in the work he does now in quality control for a medical equipment manufacturer. His job involves inspecting samples, making sure testing procedures are followed, and verifying that products meet the standards they’re supposed to meet.
Different environment. Same underlying skills.
That’s something a lot of early-career people miss.
They assume a job only “counts” if the title looks relevant. If the connection to their degree isn’t obvious, they treat that experience like a gap in the story.
But hiring managers rarely think about it that way. What they’re trying to understand is how you approach work. Do you notice problems? Do you follow processes carefully? Do you handle responsibility well?
Those signals show up in all kinds of jobs.
The real skill isn’t just gaining experience. It’s learning how to explain what that experience taught you.
Two people can have the exact same job history and tell completely different stories about it. One person describes a list of tasks. The other explains the skills they built and how those skills transfer to the next role.
That difference is what makes the experience feel relevant.
If you’re early in your career and some of your jobs don’t look connected to where you want to go, it doesn’t automatically mean they were wasted time.
The more important question is whether you can explain what you learned and how those skills show up in the work you want to do next.
That’s what turns a random job into a useful part of the story.
P.S. Did you know, GradSimple Insiders is a Career Intelligence membership for early professionals who are unsure what to do next and want to avoid wasting years on the wrong path?
I break down real hiring data and job market trends twice a month so you can see which entry-level roles are actually in demand, which industries are slowing down, and whether a career path is worth pursuing before making a long-term decision.
