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Whether you’re a freshman or a senior, at some point you’ve had the dreaded question asked to you—and you’ve asked yourself plenty of times—“What do you want to be when you grow up?” Sometimes you know what you’re passionate about, but you don’t know how that translates into a career. Sometimes you think you know your goals, and suddenly you take a class or have a discussion and everything changes. And sometimes you’re just completely drowning in a sea of decisions.
The first thing to do when you don’t know what you want to do is: don’t stress.
You may feel like everyone else has their life together with a paid internship over the summer, an on-campus research position, plenty of network connections, grad schools lined up, where they’re going to live, how many children they’re going to have, at what age they’ll retire…
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But you don’t need to know any of this right now! What most people find is that their “life plan” doesn’t always go according to plan anyway. So, don’t worry so much. Remember that it will work out. You are going to one of the best colleges in the world and getting one of the most expansive educations possible.
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Once you’ve realized how fortunate you already are, here are five proactive measures you can take to figure out what direction you may want to take.
1. Take a skills assessment and meet with the career center.
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Although the skills and interests assessments don’t get the best rap, they’re actually really helpful to narrow down what you may or may not be considering as a career path. It’s also really helpful to have that full hour-long session with someone at the center, who can see your answers and discuss possibilities you may not have considered before—or those considered too much that aren’t right for you. It’s not the end all be all [my friend scored high for “bartender” and she’s very clumsy], but it can help you better understand yourself as a person.
Click here and do either the SkillScan or Strong Interest Inventory [I did the latter] to help kick-start some career ideas for the future!
2. Take advantage of internship/career fairs!
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Although they’re a little stressful and you have to get dressed up and actually talk to people, they’re worth it! Even just to get your name out there and hear about all the different opportunities. Also, it’s not just for CSOM kids! Yes, there are a lot of banks and insurance companies there—but those are businesses too, and they have plenty of other departments that A&S students would be perfectly qualified for!
3. Throw your application around.
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Apply to everything you’re qualified for—and things you’re not qualified for. Even if it doesn’t seem like you would like the position, a perfect opportunity may find its way to you just because you took a shot! Take advantage of whatever comes your way because the best career paths usually find you at unexpected times.
4. Think about your life.
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It seems cliché, but just think seriously about what you truly want for yourself. What working atmosphere do you want? Who do you want to work with? How do you want work to play into your personal life? What are your skills? What are your weaknesses? Be as honest as you can and then compare these to your future goals.
5. Ask your family and friends for advice.
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Now, I’m not one to talk. I hate getting advice—especially from my parents. But, as much as I regret to say it, often times your family and friends can see things about you that you can’t see in yourself. Talk to them and ask for their outlook on what they could see you doing as a career, and you may learn new things about yourself.
If you put yourself out there, you will find a job and you will fall into something you’re passionate about!
Photo Sources:
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