Joint talk with Sarah Johnson, http://iamsarahj.com What does a career path in tech look like these days? You get to choose! The traditional career trajectory has changed as have the types of careers available, which makes career planning that much more challenging. Explore examples of career journeys with Sarah and Lauren, learn how to plan for a career that doesn’t exist, and reflect on your own path through hands-on activities.

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Choose Your
Own
(Career)
Adventure

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Sarah
@johnsons531
WHO ARE WE?
Lauren
@laurengalanter

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1.
Storytime
Let’s talk.

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PUBLISHED BY A
NEWBIE.
SOLD 250 MILLION
COPIES FROM 1979
to 1999.

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“Kids got it very quickly. You die,
yes, but you take another
choice and go on.

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WORK HAS
CHANGED
All experience is
valuable experience.

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LIVING LONGER

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MULTIPOTENTIALITES

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○ Growing at same company
○ Variety of responsibility
MODELS OF CAREER CHANGE
○ Switching jobs
○ Down and across ladders

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You?

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2.
Workshops
Let’s do.

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I Like To…
○ Fill in the circle next to each activity if it’s
something you like to do.
○ At the bottom of Page 1, add the number
of circles in each column.
○ See Page 2 for the descriptors of what
type of activities you like.

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I Like To…
○ Which descriptors are your strongest?
○ How does your career history align with
these descriptors?
○ Which descriptors will you focus on when
selecting your next job?

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Choose Your Own (Career)
Adventure!
The Setup
○ You have 9 possible lives, each with a different
job/career.
○ It can be a job/career that doesn’t exist yet (did
your current job exist 5-10 years ago?).
○ In none of these lives have you happened upon lots
of money - you must earn a living. Whatever that
dollar amount is, it’s enough for you to live
comfortably.
The Choice
Choose what 9 jobs you would have
and describe them in as much detail
as possible.
Adapted from Karen James Chopra, LPC, MCC, NCC of Chopra Careers)

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Choose Your Own (Career)
Adventure!
The Questions
Now trade with your partner and ask questions about
their choices:
○ Why this job?
○ What do you like about it?
○ How is it different than what you’re doing now?
○ What would it take for you to have this job 1 year
from now? 10 years from now?
image from Startup Vitamins

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Choose your own path.

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Take Home Exercises
○ Resume Word Hunt
● Review your resume.
● Circle the common or repeated words.
● Do these words identify a theme in your work history?
● Do these words match your likes and passions?
● Are there words missing that should be repeated more often?
● What can you do to make the missing words appear in your work
history?
● What kind of job would you look for based on these common words?
○ Likes and Dislikes (from Career Lab)
○ Career Blueprint (from Career Lab)

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THANKS!
Any questions?
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