Gabriel ONeill Velasco, B.S.N.

Case study

When he was 32, Gabriel Velasco began thinking about changing careers. He had a creative job that

he enjoyed at a small television company, shooting and editing news stories and making commercials.

Because of his field, videography, Gabriel knew that his career would stall unless he asked his family to

move to Los Angeles or New York City, which he didnt want to do. When Gabriel thought about work he had enjoyed in the past, first in his mind was helping work he had done with Habitat for

Humanity and the Boulder Sister City Project. He chose nursing because of the challenges and the many career paths for nurses. Four years later, after being a part-time student for one year and a full-time student for two more years, Gabriel is a registered nurse working in a hospital, his first choice of career paths. Gabriels advice to anyone entering the job market or choosing a new career is to Prioritize whats important to you, whether its making a lot of money, making work your focus, or spending time with family and enjoying outside pursuits. You have to consider those things seriously so you can find as much satisfaction and happiness as possible in and out of work. If you think you may be out of work for a while, Gabriel recommends that you Put your ego in check and be willing to be flexible. Think about taking a job that isnt your first choice, without letting go of your dreams. Network. Be socialyou never know where an opportunity is going to arise. Gabriel has this advice for succeeding at every job: Do your best at a job no matter what it is. Keep things in perspective as much as possible and dont let trivial matters become weightieare. Each day find some enjoyment in what you do.

1. Why did Gabriel change careers?

2. Why should a job seeker prioritize whats important?

3. Of the things that Gabriel lists, which one is most important to you? Or is something else more

important?

4. What advice of Gabriels can you use in your job search?