Forging a Meaningful Career Path at a Young Age

Positive psychologists have identified that those who are truly happy in their careers are thriving because they’ve found valuable work at the intersection of three things: what they like, what they’re good at, and what gives them meaning. Makes sense, doesn’t it? Yet according to Gallup, only 32% of U.S. workers are engaged with their jobs. How can the next generation of the workforce improve upon this sad statistic?

Career exploration and development (and specifically, happiness at work) is an area I’ve been passionate about for much of my own professional career. College is an ideal time to figure out each of the “big three” questions outlined above (i.e., what you like, what you’re good at, what gives you meaning). But that doesn’t mean students should wait until college to start exploring. Here are some concrete steps that high school, college students, and even recent grads can take to begin this journey of self-discovery:

• Take time to reflect. Most high-achieving students are extremely busy. Many have been running along on a well-defined path, efficiently checking things off for most of their lives, without having much time to think about what they’d actually like to do most. The academic and extracurricular ladders they’ve been climbing were often pre-determined for them, and they’ve spent most of their time grinding it out to reach the next rung. College, to some extent, and certainly life after graduation, presents a very different, far less structured, set of opportunities. So, if you haven’t yet, carve out some time early on to reflect on what you’ve done so far. What have you most enjoyed? What was challenging? What have you learned? What would you do if you could choose? Take notes on your thoughts and commit to revisiting this exercise at regular intervals. To make sure it happens, schedule it on your calendar.

• Try new things. “The expert at anything was once a beginner” (attributed to Helen Hayes). Push yourself to stretch outside your comfort zone to acquire and develop new skills, or to test out new experiences or environments. This involves actually DOING something. Volunteer, take a class, get a job, shadow someone…just find a concrete way to get involved in an area that interests you. Even if you learn you don’t like it, that is a valuable lesson in and of itself.

• Talk to people whose jobs you find interesting. As a college career advisor, I always suggested that students use the “student card” to facilitate introductions to professionals they admired. It goes as simply as this: “Hi, I’m a student at ABC School, I am really interested in math and economics, can you tell me a little about your job/position/company, and what path you took to get there? Do you have any advice for students like me?” You’d be surprised (or maybe not) about how much people like talking about themselves. Most professionals are happy to share their story and pass on lessons learned along the way. Of course, everyone’s story will be different. But if you ask enough people, certain trends will begin to emerge and you will soon be able to discover which ideas/roles/opportunities you most identify with. As a “student interviewer” you’ll be able to uncover some wonderful gems. And by the way, this is the start of networking, an invaluable skill to cultivate your entire life.

• Start to build your brand. Even if you’re not sure where you’re headed, you should realize that you are already leaving an impression on others. How you carry yourself, the way you speak, and your reputation for doing good work is already starting to form. Your personal brand is “what you are known for” and it will become increasingly important throughout your collegiate and professional career. You can start to build a resume by reflecting upon your accomplishments and contributions to your school and community. Start to get comfortable with talking about yourself, your interests, and your strengths. Take the time to do a social media audit as well. If someone was judging you solely on what they saw about you online, would it be consistent with the characteristics you are hoping to portray?

Career development is process, and recent data shows that on average, people change jobs 11.7 times between the ages of 18 and 48, which means that the above steps will likely be revisited and refined many times throughout your career. Let’s get started. Here’s to finding meaningful work that makes you happy!