Graduates – Wondering What To Do? Ask What Do I See
My husband has a fantastic question he asks young people who come to him to learn more about the engineering field. When he asks them what kind of engineering, and they reply, “I don’t know,” he asks this simple question. “When you walk into a room, what do you notice and see?” Graduates, this simple question can sometimes alleviate the stress of wondering career should I pursue.
Before I delve too much more into the question, I wanted to say congratulations on all of your hard work to get this far. Your late nights of homework have paid off. Now all that bothers you is, “What’s next? How do I pick a career? What if I choose wrong and am stuck doing a job I hate?”
Those are pretty big questions we all face, and I hate to be the one to say this, but, you’ll probably never be 100% sure you made the right choice. What I do know is you are only taking the first steps of your journey. No one is locking you on this path forever, although the weight of the decision may feel that way.
My own journey has deviated significantly from where I thought I’d go. My journey also included starting at a two-year college, transferring to a four-year school, only to realize I didn’t want to be at that four-year, and transferring again to the college I graduated from. That wasn’t the prettiest path, but it taught me that everything has some level of flexibility to it. I can change what’s not working and do something else.
My Journey
The same is true for your career. It’s a journey that may take you unexpected places. It’s okay to try different things, as long as you learn along the way. Here’s my path, in order, which I share as an example of how things morphed as I went along:
- Public relations professional for a chamber of commerce
- Branch manager of a healthcare agency
- Graduate student and teacher’s assistant
- College instructor
- Training specialist for a bank
- Training specialist for an insurance company
- Self-employment where I’ve been a trainer, speaker, coach, author, editor
Many of my jobs held painful moments of uncertainty at some aspect of the work. However, I learned to navigate the uncertainty and used the knowledge I gained to take me some place new in my career.
As you look to the future and wonder, “What should I do?” Remember the journey won’t be one stop. It’ll be many, but you can use the question, “What do I notice when I walk into a room?” to give you a starting point for the journey.
Do you notice the paint chips flaking off on the restaurant chair? Perhaps you’re a chemical engineer in the making. Do you notice how the greeter interacts with you as you enter? Maybe hospitality is your field. Do you notice how the room’s atmosphere creates an ambiance? Your destiny may lie in commercial design. Do you notice people and how they interact? Maybe you’re the next expert in the communications field.
Whatever your path, it’s a good one. Whether you are a recent graduate or a long-time employee, the question is equally as valid. What do you see when you?
Keynote speaker, trainer, and consultant, Sarah Gibson, helps organizations leverage the power of communication, teamwork and diversity to improve engagement and transform teams. To buy her book or inquire about her speaking programs, please visit www.sarahjgibson.com.
