Cornell claims to cater to ‘any study for any person’ which oftentimes can be overwhelming when trying to narrow down what you think you want to pursue for four years in undergrad, and potentially beyond. It is also not uncommon to feel like there is not enough time to pursue all of your interests due to the amount of schoolwork or number of extracurricular organizations that Cornell has to offer. If you are feeling this way and are looking for strategies to better understand how to shape your own career exploration, continue on for tips from the Career Exploration Center!
- Start off by imagining your dream job… There is an important intersection between what brings value to your life, what brings you pleasure, and what allows you to exercise your strengths in a way that is important. While it is nice to imagine a world where money, logistics, and other realities are trivial in determining a career, this- for most people- is not the case. It is important to find a balance between rationally determining a career path, and following the idealistic dreams our imaginations create.
- Can your current major help you get to this point? Assessing curriculum sheets is a great way to visualize what the remainder of your college experience will look like, and what potential career paths you can take from your major. Certain majors will inherently have more (or less) career options straight out of undergrad, however if when you are looking forward in the sequence of classes required for your major you come across a number of courses that do not align with your interests, it could be beneficial to consider a switch to one that seems like a better fit. It is important to note that not all career paths are achieved by traditional undergraduate paths, and this is ok! It is all about determining what you want to get out of your educational experience holistically, and what skills/interests you want to explore during your four years.
- Look at potential employability and what careers in various fields would provide. It is true that not all interests make perfect career paths- some are better as hobbies! It may take time to figure this out, but that is precisely what college is for. Elective credits are great for exploring these peripheral interests that you may be unsure of how much time should be set aside for them. There is also something to be said about pursuing not only something that interests you, but also something with strong employability characteristics. Deriving motivation from an interest that you can excel in, as well as supporting yourself in the future creates a stable balance in creating a passion into a career.
Again, never feel like you have to suppress any of your interests because they are not relevant to your end goal, or your intended career path. Having hobbies and passions is a valuable aspect of life that provides direction and meaning to everyday endeavors that otherwise could be mundane. What I have already learned from my time spent at the CEC is that so much of our lives are interdisciplinary, and exploring what sparks inspiration within us will lead to a deeper understanding of ourselves.