By: Kerri Latham, career counsellor
“What are you going to do after you graduate?”
How often have people asked you this with the expectation that you should have a clear, decisive answer? It’s okay if your response is, “I’m not sure yet!” The reality is, the pathways we take in our career and education journeys can be varied, unique and highly individualized.
They can also change over time. For example, there’s a good chance that your career ideas from when you were 16 are very different than the ones you have now. We learn and grow with our education and career journeys, and the world around us is adapting and changing, too.
The Chaos Theory of Careers (Pryor & Bright, 2011) recognized the need for encouraging flexibility, adaptability and planning, but with the realization that plans can change. Even the journey pace can vary, with people taking gap years, changing programs or navigating personal circumstances. All these factors (and more!) can impact our plans and how much time it takes to progress.
Making plans and taking action are like two sides of the same coin
Career planning isn’t just about having a plan. It’s also about intentionally taking action and building confidence to navigate your career and education journey with the many decisions and changes ahead of you. Small actions to explore, be curious and keep an open mind will help you maintain momentum when you experience uncertainty or feel like there’s no clear path.
- Try joining a new MSU club.
- Meet with a career counsellor and complete a career assessment.
- Use self-directed resources like Career Planning Essentials on Avenue to Learn or the Challenge Cards tool.
- Explore and apply for opportunities for mentorship, volunteering and more on OSCARplus.
- And more!
There are so many actions you can take — that’s why we developed a resource to help.
Get inspired and keep track using the Career Planning Notebook
The Career Planning Notebook is a tool you can use to guide your career planning actions. With recommendations to help you reflect, explore, connect, develop and navigate, you might be amazed at how even the smallest activities can help you build toward the future you want — even if it’s not so clear.
Download the Career Planning Notebook to get started. If you have questions or need support at any time during the process, our career counsellors are here to help. Book personalized one-on-one appointments on OSCARplus (under Student Success Centre > Appointments > Career Counselling and Job Search Coaching).