Job-search experts always say you never know where you will find your next career opportunity.

A children's soccer game or in the supermarket checkout line: Those are places where such connections sometimes happen.

For Emily Sutherland, Field Day at her daughter's elementary school in Wallingford changed the course of her career. It was there that she connected with Joyce-Lin Altieri, the owner of Flair for Hair, a hair salon in North Haven. Twelve years later, Emily is still a valued member of the team at the salon.

Emily says that she and Altieri were both "room moms" in the Wallingford school system. In that role, they helped out at special events.

"That's how we got to know each other," recalls Emily.

Emily has been busier at the salon lately, helping to plan the salon's popular annual cut-a-thon benefit scheduled for October. She also helps out with the coordination of other events throughout the year.

It's certainly a complete career change for Emily, who was a property manager in midtown Manhattan before her husband's job transfer brought the family to Wallingford. She took a year off, but then decided she needed a job.

At the salon, Emily works at the reception desk, answering the phone and greeting customers. She also provides administrative support as reservationist/salon coordinator.

On Mondays and Tuesdays, she works for her husband's company as the controller/administrator at Glass Industries of America.

At Flair for Hair, Emily can wear dressier clothes. At Glass Industries, the attire is jeans and boots.

"Once I go into the factory, I wear goggles," she says, adding that she is also an interpreter for some of the Spanish-speaking employees.

"Nothing is in common with either job except for the phone," says Emily.

The role of a greeter is certainly a great fit for Emily. It's also a very different field from the one in which Emily planned to enter early in her career.

"I went to John Jay College and was going to be a police officer," says Emily.

She majored in police science and minored in criminal justice. She earned an associate's degree in police science. She received a call about a job in the fall of 1980, but turned it down because she was getting married. The next time she received a call, her father was ill, so it again wasn't the right time. She says the list of candidates is kept active for two years, so at that point, she had to abandon that dream.

After that, she began her real estate career. The rest is history.

"I've been blessed living out here" in Connecticut, says Emily. "Each day brings something different."

Emily has also served for more than a decade as a Girl Scout leader.

"Living in the inner city in the housing projects [in New York City], there are no Girl Scouts," says Emily.

She says that she knew Girl Scouts was something she wanted her daughter Olivia to join. When she found a troop to join, she also found they needed a leader, so she served as co-leader beginning when the girls were Daisies. The group recently disbanded after the girls reached seniors status and graduated from high school, including Olivia.

Emily says six of the girls were with her the entire 12 years and she is proud to say all of the girls are now college bound. She says she hopes the leadership qualities they developed in the Girls Scouts have helped them succeed.

Emily says she enjoyed being a troop leader.

"I was blessed to have a nice group of girls and parents," she says. "That's how I made friends."

Without Girls Scouts in her life, Emily will likely feel a void.

"This September is going to be the first time I don't have Girl Scouts," she says.

Emily says she wants to continue volunteering and may instead devote some time to Master's Manna in Wallingford (which she worked with during Girl Scouts) or through her church.

"I will definitely find something," she says.