This question is asked all too often… my answer is usually: “I have no idea”. Recently I wrote this note to an associate who asked it:
You ask the most difficult question of our lives “what to do with it”. The answer, I have no idea. It took me 35 years of breathing to figure it out for myself, so you still have time. My recommendation would be to sample. This may not be advice I would have given you 20 years ago, but today is a very different time. So, if you agree with my premise, which is to sample things, the next logical question is what to sample. That answer would be to take a job, broadly, in a space you are attracted to. Then, remain self aware to what gets you excited. If nothing gets you excited, then do something else. Focus on what you like, not necessarily how much you make. My Dad did not give me this advice. His advice to me what get a job, keep it at all cost, then some day retire on a beach until you die. Those values are no longer practical in this world. Not a bad track to take, but I did not find it particularly appealing.
For me, I went into big companies because I was attracted to being “an executive”. I ended up in finance, but I sucked at it. What I was good at was motivating and leading people. Okay, now what to do with that? While I was leading people, I found I liked intimate conversations about success. Now, what to do with that? I started having lots of intimate conversations with people, and found a few things that I could sell to them. Now what to do with that? Gets a job selling people advice. Now what to do with that? Start a firm that sold advice. Now what to do with that? Build a firm and sell other people giving advice… NOW WHAT TO DO WITH THAT? This is where I am now. You see?
I would like to just give you the answer grass hopper, but you are the only one that can take this journey. Take a compass reading and begin to explore.
This advice may strike you as too progressive, or even irresponsible. However, if I even attempted to assume what other people should do with their careers, that would be irresponsible.
Hope this wasn’t too philosophical..
Russ