Actions:

Be sure to take full advantage of the Duke resources in addition to the targeted recommendations below.

• Schedule an appointment with a career coach to begin exploring career options, or to get unstuck.
• Filter and browse the Duke network using the LinkedIn alumni tool.
• Look up alumni and join groups using the Duke Alumni Directory.

• • Fields

    Field is the broadest categorization of people who are working on a common endeavor. Sometimes this category is also called a profession, industry, or sector. You may have interests in several fields or just one.

    Each field has unique characteristics such as hiring timelines, salary medians, and job skill requirements. It is important you learn as much as you can about the fields that interest you to ensure that you manage your time well to prepare yourself and align your skills with your field of interest.

    examples: biotech, manufacturing, education, technology, consulting, energy, aerospace

    Actions:

    • Read this 2020 Jobs of Tomorrow report to explore the fields of the future. This was published by the World Economic Forum in partnership with data scientists from Burning Glass Technologies, Coursera, and LinkedIn and they identified seven themes: care economy; data and AI; engineering and cloud computing; green economy; people and culture; product development; and sales marketing and content.
    • Use the Occupational Outlook Handout to clarify which occupation groups appeal to you and which to ignore and avoid.
    • Participate in events and associations to get a deeper understanding of different professional fields.

  • Organizations

    Organizations are the individual brands that have a shared infrastructure, like payroll and operations. Within an organization, there are additional shared elements, like culture, mission and goals. A synonym for organization is company, however, we use the word organization to be inclusive of education, non-profits, and government.

    examples: State of North Carolina, Duke University, Google, Medtronic, HondaJet, Mayo Clinic

    Actions:

    • Use websites like Glassdoor to research companies and read reviews.
    • Contact a Duke reference librarian to help you to navigate all of these powerful business research tools.

  • Roles

    Roles are commonly identified by the job title and includes the tasks that you perform, knowledge you have, and the level of responsibility.

    examples: jr. software developer, business analyst intern, R&D engineer

    Actions:

    • Within the Occupational Outlook Handbook, explore specific roles within Engineering, Computing or Business (or another field). Pay close attention to the details in the “What They Do” and “Work Environment” sections, seeking any patterns in the qualities that attract or repel you.

  • Constraints

    Constraints are limitations or restrictions and we all have them in our lives. In fact, researchers acknowledge that constraints often lead to improved decisions, perhaps because it reduces distraction and helps you to focus more energy into the best options. Some examples to get you thinking include family (conflicting opinions about your future and goals), salary (aligning pay and benefits with financial obligations), work authorization (aligning meaningful work with country-specific laws).

    Actions:

    • Write down the factors that may constrain your search. This might include location (because you expect access to friends and family, perhaps), finances (you have financial obligations to meet), or visa and work authorization.
    • Schedule an appointment with a career coach to create a search plan that specifically aligns with your needs.