From Here to Where?

In examining my future career path and attempting to map these uncharted, dark waters, I am reminded of Lindsey Pollak saying to “get rid of the ‘shoulds’” (pg. 52) and to learn what it is you want. For too long in my life I leaned on other people’s idea of what I should want. In looking at schools and majors I found myself paralyzed by the abundance of options and a lack of strong direction on my part. This confusion led to far too long spent treading water; going to school but making little progress in regards to a “calling” or even just a general career direction.

What started as a Business Administration major, quickly had to change. The bane of my academic career, math, would not make things easy. I was unable to pass the lowest level of math needed for this business major. I had a tutor but a site like Tutor.com could have also helped. At this point my desire for a major similar to what I had started, minus the math requirement, led me to the communications field. Luckily I would find myself enjoying this major more than business. I haven’t looked back since. Suddenly, I didn’t feel quite as stuck. In retrospect, researching before choosing my major would have been smart. If I encounter similar problems post-graduation, a career coach, which Pollak suggests, could be a helpful option. (pg. 72).

Pollak discusses, at one point, the advantages of career testing (pg. 57), something that I feel I could really benefit from. I am not the best at self critiquing, so to have an outside party assess my skills and interests and suggest jobs or industries I could fit well in seems helpful to me. It is certainly something I will be looking into. Even a free online one, like this, is a starting point.

Career path planning is not a fun task for me. The anxiety of trying to plan out something like landing a job, and how you’d do it, is basically impossible. You aren’t going to plan accurately years down the road. But it’s about taking steps today so when the opportunities come you are prepared. So much of what Pollak discusses in her second chapter (pg. 29) is about these preparations. Much of it is simple advice that won’t necessarily land you a job by itself, but it readies you to capitalize on the opportunities. Business cards, emailing, online image; none will get you a job alone but together they give you a great foundation. All these things put together allow for a strong, confident first step into the job market.