Design Thinking Action Lab Assignment no. 2: Empathy Map and Problem Statement This is the final file for peer review (pls disregard former file)

1. A Study in Contrasts:
The Mindset and Experiences of
Two Exceptionally Gifted Former Students
Design Thinking Action Lab: Assignment no. 2
Empathy Map and Problem Statement
Say Feel ThinkDo

2. .
2. “Zorglub”
1. “The Hobbit”
Interviewee no 1, who shall be referred to as “The Hobbit”, is a former Biology and English major
from Miami University (a private, i.e. expensive university, well-regarded in the life sciences), who
couldn’t afford to go on to a Master’s degree and had difficulty advancing in his chosen field,
despite the fact that he was a top student. As do many graduates in his field, he now works in IT
support.
The Hobbit graduated in 1990 and entered the workforce shortly thereafter.
Interviewee no 2, who shall be referred to as “Zorglub” (after the Belgian comic book character
in the series Spirou), has a Bachelor’s of IT Engineering from the University of Sherbrooke, Qc,
Canada (a cooperative program featuring 4 internships over the course of 3 years of study), and
went on to do an MBA at University of Western Ontario (“Western”, a highly-regarded business
program) after a few years in the workforce. His avowed ambition is to become a VP or CEO.
Zorglub did his Bachelor’s in the early 2000s, worked for a telecom firm for a few years, then
completed his MBA in 2011.
Note: University tuition is very low in the province of Quebec, and having a low student debt load as well as savings from a high-
paying job, Zorglub was able to afford graduate school.
Both are exceptionally intelligent and were at the top of their classes.
One fell off the career trail, the other is right on track.
Their chosen field, the economic circumstances at the time of their entry into the workforce, and the
changes in recruiting and job advertisement technology made a huge difference in their respective
career success

3. Feeling like he was ill-
equipped to fend for himself
in the wild and woolly world of
professional academics and
research.
World-wise, and yet still a bit
wary of the workplace. Being
branded as his boss’ spy left
a mark on him.Found a job for a mosquito-control
organization in Florida. Eventually had
to leave when the researcher’s funding
was cut. Could not find another position
in the field and couldn’t afford graduate
school. In order to make ends meet,
took a job as a floor sales rep in a big-
box electronics chain and moved to the
IT bench a few years later.
Found work in his field easily after
his bachelor’s, thanks to the
concrete work experience gained
during his 4 internships. After a few
years, took a leave of absence to do
his MBA, then went back to a
negative atmosphere (superior felt
threatened by his enhanced
learning) and resolved to look
elsewhere. Landed a paid internship
in a large IT company.
“When I walked into this [current]
internship, it was with a -2 handi-
cap. Everyone thought I was the
VP’s pet/spy and would report
back to him on their doings. I had
to deconstruct their perceptions
and create a new reality. ”
“Other students could
afford to take the
prestigious but unpaid
internships; I couldn’t. I
had to pay the rent.”
“Companies lose out
on some of the best
talent [by offering
internships, but
unpaid]”
Resigned
Often nostalgic for
the good old college
days
Thinks he didn’t make
the right choices
Often thinks back on the subject
matters that interested him
during his schooling: genetics,
entomology. Wonders if/how he
might get back into those fields.
Thinks he did the right
thing by choosing a job
that didn’t block him
from his ambitions.
Strategic, and glad he
made the right choices to
bring him closer to his
ultimate goal.
Sad, regretful
Where you start has a lot to do with
where you end up. Smarts aren’t
everything; choosing the right field
often has more importance.
This points to the necessity of good
career counselling at an early age,
and having accurate information
about the realities of the
workplace.
(This being said, L really did make
the right choice by majoring in
Biology. He still has a deep love and
fascination for all living things — he
channelled this love into gardening
—, and often regales friends with
tales and tidbits from his genetics
classes. But, work-market
conditions being what they were —
and still are; jobs as a biologist
without a graduate degree are
next-to-nonexistant — , he had to
develop his secondary skills and
find employment in a field where
there is more demand.)
Also, job seekers usually don’t have
a clear and accurate picture of
what a given job will be like.
Decisions are made on impartial
information, which often leads to
dissapointments and/or
integration difficulties.
A bit gypped
“Shoulda, coulda,
woulda”
“Other kids’ parents
were already in the field,
and could help guide
them. Mine weren’t, and
couldn’t.”
“I really didn’t know what
to do, where to go, to
make my way in the
world of scientific
research.”
“[The employer] lied to us a little
bit… made us believe there was an
actual job at the end of the
internship when he didn’t really
have the headcount.”
Intelligent youth with no connections
have help navigating the hiring process of
his/her chosen field
he/she does not have the necessary
ressources/knowledge
Savvy youth with job experience have more accurate and timely information
about the reality of a given job
there is often a gap betwenn what is
perceived/represented and the reality of the
workplace
Interviewee no. 1:
“The Hobbit”
Interviewee no. 2:
“Zorglub”