5 answers
Danica
Student
Elk River, Minnesota
7
Questions
Asked
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How did you know what you wanted your career to be?
I am a sophomore and am deciding which career I may be interested in doing. I really don't know which subject I would be interested in, but I like public speaking and educating people.
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5 answers
Colleen Tyler
Marketing Executive
1
Answer
Redmond, Washington
Updated
Colleen’s Answer
Danica: That's an excellent question, and you're already making strides towards discovering a career that could captivate you. My advice would be to begin by pinpointing your talents - what comes naturally to you? These can be "hard skills" like technical abilities, writing, or public speaking, as well as "soft skills" like teamwork, collaboration, and creative problem-solving.
When I embarked on my college journey, I believed I had a clear vision of my future career based on discussions with various people about their professions. These included family friends, teacher contacts, and my school counselor. I was convinced that journalism was my calling. It aligned with my strengths in writing and my desire to travel and interact with diverse individuals to "uncover the story."
I pursued communications in college and in my junior year, I interned at a TV station. This real-world experience, although not as rewarding as I'd hoped, was enlightening. I realized that the daily life in this then male-dominated field was not what I envisioned for myself.
I revisited my network of professors, family friends, and colleagues, and discovered a new path in Human Resources. I found it fulfilling as it involved people, had business implications, and was heavily centered around communication and understanding human relationships.
I joined the Society of Human Resources (SHRM), a professional organization that accepted student members, which helped me expand my network of HR professionals. I secured my first job as an HR Assistant in a startup, where I honed my skills in various areas like recruiting, compensation, and employee relations.
Later, I accepted an offer to join a larger company as a recruiter. Here, I networked and discovered opportunities that were more intriguing and aligned with my strengths. I capitalized on my relationships with other managers and transitioned into my first marketing role three years after joining the company.
I also returned to school while working, which is a fantastic way to have your employer assist with your education costs. Fast forward 25 years, and I've held a variety of marketing roles throughout my career.
The key takeaway is that even though my journey wasn't something I could have predicted back in school, I consistently utilized my strengths to find opportunities that resonated with my values and abilities.
Remember, you don't need to have the "perfect career" mapped out. Your strengths may evolve over time. Start by gaining clarity on what you excel at and engage in conversations with various people to understand their jobs and the strengths they employ in their roles. This could set you on the path to an extraordinary career.
When I embarked on my college journey, I believed I had a clear vision of my future career based on discussions with various people about their professions. These included family friends, teacher contacts, and my school counselor. I was convinced that journalism was my calling. It aligned with my strengths in writing and my desire to travel and interact with diverse individuals to "uncover the story."
I pursued communications in college and in my junior year, I interned at a TV station. This real-world experience, although not as rewarding as I'd hoped, was enlightening. I realized that the daily life in this then male-dominated field was not what I envisioned for myself.
I revisited my network of professors, family friends, and colleagues, and discovered a new path in Human Resources. I found it fulfilling as it involved people, had business implications, and was heavily centered around communication and understanding human relationships.
I joined the Society of Human Resources (SHRM), a professional organization that accepted student members, which helped me expand my network of HR professionals. I secured my first job as an HR Assistant in a startup, where I honed my skills in various areas like recruiting, compensation, and employee relations.
Later, I accepted an offer to join a larger company as a recruiter. Here, I networked and discovered opportunities that were more intriguing and aligned with my strengths. I capitalized on my relationships with other managers and transitioned into my first marketing role three years after joining the company.
I also returned to school while working, which is a fantastic way to have your employer assist with your education costs. Fast forward 25 years, and I've held a variety of marketing roles throughout my career.
The key takeaway is that even though my journey wasn't something I could have predicted back in school, I consistently utilized my strengths to find opportunities that resonated with my values and abilities.
Remember, you don't need to have the "perfect career" mapped out. Your strengths may evolve over time. Start by gaining clarity on what you excel at and engage in conversations with various people to understand their jobs and the strengths they employ in their roles. This could set you on the path to an extraordinary career.
Lauren Caldwell
Retail Associate
7
Answers
Hazard, Kentucky
Updated
Lauren’s Answer
Hello! It took me a while to find my career path. I was 19 years old when I graduated, and automatically jumped into college. I automatically chose nursing because my family is primarily working in the medical field and I thought it was the best decision for me to make. However, once I got into nursing school, I quickly realized it was not for me. This did rock my world for a while, but one day while exploring career options, I came across the social work field. I have started my first semester at EKU and I love it. My advice to you is, please do what you think is best for you and not what other people think you should do. Use your judgment to make a decision and take your time. Research various careers and exploring different career options.
Emily Barbar
Student
11
Answers
Glendale, California
Updated
Emily’s Answer
I knew what I wanted to do after my first two semesters of community college. A lot of people know what they want to do straight out of high school but that's not the case for everyone. I would say take as much time as you need to figure out what you want to do. I would take a public speaking class and some intro classes and try it and see if it's something you want to do. Also, a lot of colleges have career centers where there are career counselors who can give you resources and help you navigate in ways that will help you narrow down your interests. My advice to you would be to take your time figuring out what you want to do. Don't put a lot of pressure to figure it out then and there and just do you, what you feel is right.
Jessica Heritage
Art Teacher
1
Answer
Glassboro, New Jersey
Updated
Jessica’s Answer
I did not know what I wanted to do either. What helped is I tried new experiences like jobs, events, activities, volunteering, and some college courses to see what interested me the most. One day I realized I love to help people create art so I became an art teacher. Write down what you love to do not just hobbies but what you like to give as a person. Find a career that relates. It should start to come together.
Thank you! I'll try your tips
Danica
Angie Croslin
Team Culture & Development Lead
3
Answers
Austin, Texas
Updated
Angie’s Answer
I did not know what I wanted to do after college until my junior year. I was an art major and took my first textile design class when it clicked for me. I realized from the first class this is something I am passionate about and want to make it my career. Even then it took an internship and some additional classes to land my first job. Since then my career evolved from being a designer to creating marketing content to now working in a Marketing Ops role for a tech company. This is true for many people- your career evolves as you find new interests and new opportunities. In no way do you need to have it all figured out at this stage (or at any stage). Best of luck!