Engineer Your Career, from College to Job to Further Education
The biggest question I hear from young adults just starting out in their careers is: How do I pick a career path? There is so much written about finding a job, and not enough guidance on how to choose where you’re going. I’ve created a simple system to help you get started while planning for the future.
Step 1:
Identify your goals, interest and experience.
What is at the intersection of what you have some familiarity with and what you are truly interested in? There may be other criteria included here, such as high-paying careers, creative careers, kinesthetic careers...it’s all up to you.
Step 2:
Make a list of approximately 3 fields of interest.
Review job descriptions in that field, both entry level and more senior level, to gauge interest. Take an intro course on Coursera or LinkedIn Learning, for example, to get a bit more detail about that career path.
Step 3:
Conduct a Gap Analysis.
Review job descriptions to determine what you already have in your background and any gaps in your knowledge and experience. Take note of what you’re missing.
Step 4:
Make a list of people based on LinkedIn profiles in that field.
Reach out to them and ask for a 20-minute informational interview. Write up a brief series of questions to get more information about whether this is a good career path for you.
Step 5:
Decide whether you need further education.
Based on your research and discussions, are you missing a skillset that will set you up for success?Frequently you can develop a skill through a course, certificate program or bootcamp, and then position yourself as someone with experience.
Step 6:
If you are grad school-bound, there may be an interim step.
Every career path has different levels. You may want to shoot for an entry-level job in the field that will give you more insights into the field prior to attending grad school. This is a good way to ensure you don’t make a mistake by going to grad school prematurely and in the wrong subject.
This straightforward system will enable you to make good progress toward discovering and embarking upon your ideal career path.