By Brian Reece, Associate Director, Assessment &
Communication
When I was younger, I remember being told all sorts of
things about what I should be (and who I should be, for that matter) when I “grow
up.” Now that I’m all grown up, I still don’t really have a concrete answer to
this question. It gives me anxiety from time to time—maybe I’m just in denial--but
I’m slowly coming to the realization that I don’t have to be just one thing. It’s
okay not to know what I want to be when I grow up. As I move ever closer toward
my 30s, I can see how all of this education, regardless of the name of the
field of study, the major, or the framework, influences me in countless ways.
I wound up in a job doing assessment and communication for a
career center. To many of my colleagues, this is an odd sort of mix. But then
again, I’m an odd sort of mix. I have degrees, minors, and certificates in
English, Spanish, Music, Higher Education, Nonprofit Management, Prevention
Science, and Counseling. In other words, I’m a writer, a translator, a
musician, an educator, an organizational manager, a data analyst, and a helper
by training, and this is exactly what I now do as my full-time job. Interesting
how it works out.
I ended up where I am today not because I chose a straight
and narrow path toward a specific career, but instead because I explored a
variety of options, developed expertise in multiple areas, and was open to the
possibilities, including those that didn’t yet exist or that I didn’t yet
understand. Whether you’re an incoming student, a senior getting ready to
graduate, or an alum with years of experience, here are some tips for living
your passion even if you don’t know what it is yet:
Explore anything and
everything. If it excites you, learn about it, practice it, and get good at
it. If it scares you, dive right on in anyway. If you think you’ll hate it,
find out if you’re right! Your experiences define who you are and your attitude
about engaging in new opportunities defines who you’ll become.
Don’t make a decision
(yet). It’s okay to be unsure! You may be unsure because you don’t have
enough information—so do whatever you can do learn and gain experience. You may
be unsure because you have too much information—so take time to reflect and
digest it all. You may also be unsure because all the options sound great—so
think creatively about ways you can have both/all instead of just one or the
other.
Prepare for change.
Things don’t always go as we planned. In fact, they rarely go exactly as we planned. Preparing for uncertainty means
having contingency plans, but it doesn’t mean you can’t commit wholeheartedly
to Plan A. It just means that you’re ready to go with Plan B or C or D if the
original plan falls through. Or if you’re really creative and you like Plan B
enough, you might find ways to merge the two. Now that’s innovation!
Be open to living
your passion outside of work. Each of us lives and operates differently.
Some of us want our work to be a calling. Others of us want our work to support
our calling. No matter how you live your passion and no matter what your
passion is, remember that your work is or will be a huge part of it in one way
or another. And be open to having many passions—enjoy life to its fullest!
You’re not alone.
At the Toppel Career Center, we offer many different ways to explore your
interests, values, skills, abilities—to learn what your passion is. We also
have highly trained and motivated staff who can help you as you do. Take
advantage of your network: friends, colleagues, mentors, professors,
supervisors. And if you want help doing so, Toppel can help with that too!
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