When opportunity knocks, are you ready and willing to respond? You can be.

For several years, I have presented to students enrolled in the San Jose State University Leadership in Nutrition and Dietetics graduate course. I share my professional journey and have them reflect on where they are and where they are headed on their journey.

One of the defining patterns in my career journey is never actively seeking employment. Each job I have held has resulted from opportunity knocking and being prepared to respond in the affirmative. I stressed to the students that being ready and willing to respond when opportunity knocks will serve them well.

Allow me to illustrate…

When professional preparation meets a felt need, opportunity is knocking.

My first post-graduate school job offer occurred in a hospital room. Mine. I had just completed graduate school in nutrition at Cornell, moved to Indiana, where my husband had taken a new job, and delivered our first child, our daughter Jenny. I was not in the job market and was preparing to take the RD exam in the upcoming months.

Jenny’s doctor was excited that I was becoming an RD and asked if I would be interested in counseling the patients in their practice. The nearest outpatient RD was half an hour away. I had not previously thought about starting a private practice, which in 1981 was not nearly as common as today. Realizing the potential to work from home with a young infant, I told him that I would give his offer some thought.

A few months later, after passing the RD exam, I opened my private practice, without a website or social media, and with very limited experience. I would continue to see clients one-on-one for a couple of decades, in addition to other work.  

Professional networking creates an ideal setting for opportunities to come your way.

My next two job offers resulted from my participation in our local dietetic association. I became actively involved soon after moving to Indiana and became an officer. This demonstrated leadership abilities and a willingness to work.

Another member who consulted in a long-term care facility in our county was going on maternity leave and asked if I would like to cover her for three months. Those three months turned into three years. This was just a one-day-a-week commitment, so I was able to continue to see patients in my private practice.

I enjoyed my time there and especially enjoyed giving in-services for the food service staff and educational programs for the staff and residents. I found this job experience to be very helpful years later when I was tasked with teaching geriatric nutrition and when my mother and mother-in-law were in assisted living.

Another job also resulted from my involvement in our local dietetic association. The WIC program was expanding into my county, and a colleague wondered… was I interested in becoming a WIC dietitian?

This was a dream job for someone who loved nutrition education, moms and kids, and breastfeeding.

WIC was a job I held while raising three young children, giving me real-life experience and empathy for the mothers I served. I worked part-time or full-time for WIC for 20 years. I became the local program coordinator, worked on developing our state’s breastfeeding peer counselor program, and developed lots of classes and nutrition education resources.

Professional skill development prepares you for new opportunities.

Throughout my academic training and these early jobs, I was busy honing my communication skills in addition to my nutrition expertise. I developed classes, resources, and became a professional speaker with a focus on early childhood nutrition and nutrition education for children. I created my own business, Noteworthy Creations, Inc., for this purpose.

Recognized as an expert in nutrition communication, opened another opportunity, teaching my favorite undergraduate class at Purdue, NUTR 424, Nutrition Communications. The professor who had taught me was retiring and the department head reached out with this opportunity. I stepped into it without hesitation.

For the next 16½ years, I taught not only nutrition communication, but a number of other courses as well: Introductory Nutrition, Lifecycle Nutrition, Public Health Nutrition, and Diet Selection and Planning. My favorite, of course, was Nutrition Communication.

During my time at Purdue, in addition to teaching, I was able to develop several nutrition education resources:

• a high school health curriculum called Destination Wellness for the state of Maryland, with a Team Nutrition grant;

• a training for childcare programs in Indiana for implementing the Dietary Guidelines and promoting family-style dining with another Team Nutrition grant;

• I developed the Promoting Family Meals project with a faculty fellowship and developed resources for SNAP-ed, WIC, extension, and more; and

• I was asked to write an introductory textbook for non-nutrition majors called Nutrition for Everyone.

Writing this textbook led to writing Communicating Nutrition: The Authoritative Guide. To read about being called by the Academy for this opportunity, see this post.

Are you ready and willing when opportunity knocks? You can be! As I shared with the students, I didn't say yes to every opportunity, and you don't need to either. Set boundaries and choose those that align with your values, interests, skills, and that match your lifestyle and financial needs.

“Luck is what happens when preparation meets opportunity.” ~ Seneca

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