Dear Pathfinder is the Career Center’s Career Development advice column. Have a question for Dear Pathfinder? Submit it here. Through this column, our diverse team of advisors writes to you, the pathfinder, as you explore important career questions.
Dear Pathfinder,
I’m currently exploring potential career paths and trying to align my choices with my goals and interests. How can I identify the best job or career path that suits my professional aspirations?”
— Feeling unsure of future prospects
Dear Feeling Unsure,
It is okay to be unsure about what options are out there. The concept of making a Career choice is only ever helpful in hindsight. Instead, consider your exploration connected to identifying your next opportunity.
The best way forward is to Identify what your goals are. I love activities like the Passion Roadmap to help folks think about what they may want to achieve in the coming years. From there it is helpful to consider leveraging your previous experience and your network as you explore what is out there. You could use your previous experiences to reflect on what you care about (What problems are you trying to solve? What do you like or dislike? What themes/ideas do you enjoy looking into?) and identify fields of interest. Another strategy would be to connect with people in your life (Former or Current Teachers, Family Friends, Friends, Coworkers, Mentors, Coaches, etc.) and schedule informational interviews. These short meetings are an opportunity to learn more about what work might look like in your chosen fields and be helpful to whittle down your list from there. I would not lead with asking for a position without understanding what you would like to do.
I have a saying, “Become a student of your chosen field(s),” which describes the simplest but most effective strategy to expand your understanding of the types of places you would like to go. I would like to guess that you do some of this naturally, but the goal is to approach your learning with an intentional eye. For example, informational interviewing is not the only way to expand your understanding. I would dig a bit deeper here. Are there articles, podcasts, or videos available for your chosen field? Where are the thought leaders of your field(s) posting content? I like to start with LinkedIn because there is no paywall, but you could expand this to include many sources. Have you considered looking for professional associations or conferences dedicated to your chosen industries?
You are not alone in this experience and I know it can be tricky to explore when you are unsure of what you want to do. Try scheduling an appointment with a Career Advisor via Handshake or referring to the Career Development Process to explore a structured approach to the next steps.
— Career Advisor
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