Nicky Hutchinson is an Employability & Careers Consultant based at our Penryn campus.
“What are you going to do when you graduate?”
That question rings in the ears of our students each holiday when they meet up with family, friends and various other inquisitive folks. Some students will have a very clear plan for their future career path, however if you find yourself wincing at your lack of inspiration, clarity, ideas or your inability to make sense of all the possibilities you find exciting, then read on.
Let’s take a moment to acknowledge the feelings that not having a clear answer to this question can create: Crushed? Shame? Embarrassment? Discomfort? Annoyance? Anxiety? Helplessness? Nonchalance?
Take a breath, rest your mind and know this – it’s ok, not to know! Later, I will share some tips on how to answer those questions, but first indulge me for a moment as I share a personal insight:
I remember a particular song when I was growing up called Everybody’s Free (To Wear Sunscreen) by Baz Luhrmann. There was a line which really resonated with me:
‘Don’t feel guilty if you don’t know what you want to do with your life. The most interesting people I know didn’t know at 22 what they wanted to do with their lives. Some of the most interesting 40-year-olds I know still don’t’.
Last week, in a ‘Silencing Your Inner Critic’ workshop there was a group of colleagues who shared ‘Restlessness’ as a characteristic. They reflected that one of the labels they had used for themselves was a ‘Jack-of-all-trades’. They recalled feeling restless was both a gift and a curse at times. A common symptom was a struggle to find a singular identity or label they could attach to themselves and their experience, in terms of a profession. They also felt fulfilled and genuinely excited in their work as their careers had developed over time. If they didn’t like a job or organisation, they could turn their attention in a new direction and try something else. They have learned many skills and have been easily able to adapt to new situations and roles. All felt they had managed to succeed at everything they had been thrown into, new or not. Rather than worrying about or avoiding tasks, they chucked themselves in at the deep end with an inner self-confidence in their ability to succeed. They enjoyed variety, had a thirst for knowledge and for learning, and recognised that repetition is something they quickly grow tired of. The new, interesting, exciting, opportunities were more important overall than having a singular ‘career identity’ or specialism. These individuals came away feeling positive about a new common identity – ‘Career Tourists’.
‘We want our future graduates to be thinking about change being the only certainty in careers. Being adaptable, open minded, opportunistic, positive and flexible is an advantage.’
In Create Your Future, the University of Exeter’s personal and professional development programme for first years, we encourage students to consider that few careers will be linear. With the advent of AI and digital transformation, the world of work is rapidly changing. We want our future graduates to be thinking about change being the only certainty in careers. Being adaptable, open minded, opportunistic, positive and flexible is an advantage.
With a linear career path, it is at least a clearer journey to take defined steps towards a specialist profession. The path is well trodden, with good, clear guidance and advice available to help you leap from step to step. The familiarity appears to offer a sense of security and definition. However, if you don’t have a defined goal profession, or if, for whatever reason you are forced to consider a plan B (or C or D…) it’s even more important that you focus energy on defining what it is that you enjoy doing the most. What gives you purpose? What is important to you about the impact of your life? In a world where everything could be interesting, it is critical that you start being pro-active to focus your mind and develop skills and experiences to put on your CV. These will be useful examples to draw on when the time comes to apply for an opportunity you just don’t want to miss.
So how should we deal with that question? What are you going to do?
How about you respond that you are still exploring options and possibilities? Share your skills and strengths, the experiences you have most enjoyed most, the people who inspired you and the organisations you are drawn towards. The folks who are quizzing you, care. They may have some great ideas about how you can turn them into a career move and be only too happy to help.
In the meantime, it is not ok to sit on your laurels and throw your life completely to chance. Your job is to be a proactive explorer; throw yourself into positive, life-affirming, valuable experiences to enhance your skills, develop your self-awareness and improve your network. You may well stumble across the lily pad that you want to make your next leap onto. For tourists, careers are forged by taking the next leap, then the next. There doesn’t have to be a plan, but you do have to have developed a powerful sense of yourself and your value to ensure you gravitate towards fulfilling work rather than continual stopgaps. Making some goals for yourself can be a helpful way to focus yourself, on activities with a strong sense of your reasons for doing so.
‘There doesn’t have to be a plan, but you do have to have developed a powerful sense of yourself and your value to ensure you gravitate towards fulfilling work.’
Luckily, the Career Zone and the wider University offers so many opportunities to engage in a broad variety of activities aimed at supporting you to explore. Here are some ideas to get you started:
- Grand Challenges
- Green Consultants
- Future 17
- The Guild or Students Union (Penryn) – get involved with a society, become a rep or start your own – all great experiences
- Explore events and workshops – see what appeals
And finally, back to Baz Luhrmann with this thought: ‘trust me, in 20 years you’ll look back at photos of yourself and recall in a way you can’t grasp now how much possibility lay before you’. Next time you get cornered into answering questions about what you are going to do, channel excitement, self-assurance, your values and your purpose. If you want help with identifying those things, remember you can also book a one to one with a Careers Consultant.