We all tell ourselves the same thing: everyone except me knows what they’re going to do once they graduate. It’s just not true.
Most of us are searching for ways we can apply our university experience to our yet-to-be-determined career path. Having just finished my undergraduate degree with no clear plan of what I’m going to do next, I decided to attend the Centre for Student Involvement and Careers (CSI&C) workshop about feeling stuck and unsure about your career.
We learned in the workshop that building a career is centred on 4 intersecting areas: identity, experience, resources, and network.
The diagram shows us that each area cannot stand alone. In reality, they’re all intertwined as they build off of one another.
Identity
Who am I? Before you can figure out what you’re going to do, it’s important to figure out who you want to be. Establish your values, find your strengths, know your weakness etc., as these will help you establish the type of person you want to be in the workforce.
Strengths-based theory
In the workshop, we learned about a strengths-based theory which emphasizes self-determination, strength, and resilience in the face of adversary.
How it applies to your identity circle:
You will face setbacks in your career path. By understanding your strengths and being willing to push forward despite hurdles, you will be able to overcome challenges in developing your career.
Experience
What have I done? All the things that make you who you are have likely come from past experiences. Whether that’s been work experience, travel experience, academic experience, all of these and more have revealed your preferences and help to determine what you want to do next.
Fixed vs. Growth Mindset
The workshop highlighted how mindset can affect us. A fixed mindset is the belief that your basic abilities are fixed from birth, whereas a growth mindset allows for an individual to develop further as they grow.
How it applies to your experience circle:
Both mindsets will have a profound effect on your life as they facilitate very different perspectives on success. A fixed mindset dictates that talent alone will lead to success and that experiences are secondary. On the other hand, a growth mindset encourages participation in new experiences to develop a passion for learning and expanding one's skill set.
Resources
Establishing a good set of resources when you’re figuring out your career will help to alleviate stress. Having your resume written, establishing a LinkedIn profile, and searching through career websites will show that you’re ready for a career even when you don’t know what you’re looking for.
Positive uncertainty
This theory is about making decisions for the future that are positive and accepting of uncertainty.
How it applies to your tools/resources circle:
Viewing your future through a lens of positivity will help to keep your mind open to new ideas and allow it to take away and redirect the fear that is often associated with uncertainty. By saying to yourself “I don’t have all the answers or know exactly what career I’m going to do, but I’m still going to put in an effort” it releases the tension and turns uncertainty into a growth opportunity.
Network
Who you know has an impact on your career connections. Being willing to expand your network to different individuals will open up new avenues that you may not have thought existed.
Planned happenstance
In this theory, you try to put yourself where goods things are going to happen, in order to benefit from unplanned events.
How it applies to your network circle:
Look at your goals and ask yourself, where would I have to be to begin to reach those goals? Unpredictable social circumstances, chance events, and environmental factors are important factors to outcomes, so decide how you want to design your life circumstances and make those situations happen.
Choose your direction
We live in a world filled with opportunities and trying to narrow down even a handful of options can be an overwhelming process. When you’re feeling stuck or unsure, it’s great to take a step back and find the root cause. Break down your concerns surrounding your career and change your way of thinking so you can take positive actions to find your resolutions.
The CSI&C has amazing resources to help you succeed, whether it's help in writing your resume, finding new experiences, attending networking events, or information on graduate studies. The CSI&C is there for you. By identifying gaps to work on, you’ll be one step further down your career path.
