The Digital Challenge Cards can be used to discover and consider your career options based on what has purpose and meaning for you.
You can use the Digital Challenge Cards to help identify your career direction and then use this knowledge to consider ways to take action. If you need some support in creating an action plan, our team of career counsellors are here to help! Whatever stage you’re at in the career planning model, the digital challenge cards are available to inspire and consider what type of impact you want to make.
In exploring the world through a challenge mindset, students are encouraged to think creatively, foster connections between interests and consider their career options based on purpose and meaning.
Career education is no longer about commitment, choosing one path. It’s about exploration, purpose, and impact.
JP Michel, the founder of SparkPath and creator of the digital challenge cards.
Getting started
- Go to app.mysparkpath.com/
- Click on “Get Started.”
- A sign-up box will appear to create your own account. Sign up as a student.
- When prompted for the code, enter “macssccareers.”
- Create a password with at least eight characters. This will be the password you use to return to the account to review your results or try the sort again.
When sorting your Challenge Cards:
- Consider what might be meaningful for you or what might give you a high level of engagement.
- Go with your first reaction to each card on the first sort.
- When you’re asked to select your top three cards, read more about the challenges in the details.
- Pay attention to your inner dialogue and sort based on what is true for you.
What’s next?
You may be used to thinking about your career in terms of which job title you want to have. However, according to Jules Shroeder, author and founder of Unconventional Life podcast, job titles don’t matter as much anymore. But what does this mean for your career planning processes?
You can use the results from your Digital Challenge Cards to develop a plan for what’s next — one that takes into account the fast-paced, ever-changing nature of work today. This way, you can learn to grow and adapt to new environments and roles that aren’t as clearly defined by focusing on the challenges that interest you most.
Here are some suggested actions you can take to help build your career with purpose.
- Follow the suggested activities in your Challenge Card Profile report.
- Get curious about organizations and people working on the same challenges. Here are some suggested resources to help you do that.
- The Alumni and Partners Advisor Network is a database of McMaster alumni who you can contact to get advice and insight into different career areas.
- Use LinkedIn to learn about people and organizations, and join groups with similar interests.
- Use the Ask a Librarian service to get connected to directories and resources, and develop a list of potential organizations working on the challenges that interest you.
- Explore opportunities to gain more experience and build skills in the areas that have meaning for you. Here are some suggestions on how to do that.
- Career events and fairs: Meet with representatives to connect your challenges to real-world opportunities.
- McMaster Students Union (MSU): Offers many clubs and services that might provide opportunities to start working on your Challenge Card areas.
- MacChangers: Open to undergraduate and graduate students from all programs at McMaster.
- CityLabHamilton: A collaboration between the city of Hamilton and McMaster University.
- Charity Village: Explore volunteer and job postings to learn how you can get involved or work for an organization with purpose.
- United Nations (UN) Sustainable Development Goals: Supplement your Challenge Cards results with these UN goals.
Meet with a career counsellor to learn about your skills and strengths and get support as you navigate your career journey. To book a one-on-one appointment with an SSC career counsellor, go to OSCARplus > Student Success Centre > Appointments > Careers.
This initiative is supported by the McMaster Okanagan Special Project Funding.
Learn more about Okanagan special projects and initiatives to improve health and well-being in the McMaster community.