Oftentimes, it may seem like everyone else has it figured out while you are still struggling. Maybe you aren’t sure what career path is right for you or you aren’t fulfilled at your current job, but it seems like everyone else around you has found their passion.
Today there is so much pressure to work hard and hustle that sometimes it’s hard to figure out where exactly you want to be in your career journey. Keep reading to find out how you can jump-start your career and find your passion!
This week I spoke with Josh Drexler, a senior at The George Washington School of Business, about how he entered the real estate world and found his current passion. Josh is very involved on campus; he is the president of the GW Commercial Real Estate Network and a member of GW Real Estate and Finance Alliance. Additionally, this past summer Josh interned at Fannie Mae as a Multifamily Customer Engagement Intern. Once he graduates, he has accepted a full-time position at Fannie Mae as a Multifamily Business Analyst.
But Josh originally entered GWU anticipating a career in finance and accountancy. He enjoyed his accounting courses, but after an internship with a tax accounting firm he realized that he wasn’t fulfilled. Josh knew he was looking for something more; he wanted more exposure and client-facing work. He was at a crossroads; accountancy was something he enjoyed learning about, but he wasn’t sold on the idea of making it his career.
This crossroads is something that many people encounter, whether they’re in college or years into a career that they originally loved. In fact, CNBC reported that the average career shift is made at 39 years old and almost half of the survey respondents said they've made a career change. The main reason for a career change? They were unhappy with their job.
While reading the rest of CNBC’s article, I was reminded of a previous conversation I had with Kevin O’Connell. During this conversation he said he asks people that are looking for their niche the same question: “What are three things you would do for free?” With this question, you can determine what work you are most passionate about and figure out what industry or career would be most fulfilling for you.
In order for Josh to determine what his next steps would be, he asked himself what qualities he wanted in a future industry. He was able to determine that he wanted a space that was analytically-driven, with the ability to collaborate with others in a dynamic environment, and where he would be forced to think on his feet.
Josh is lucky that he could quickly point out what he was looking for, but for others it may be difficult to come to this level of self-awareness. This New York Times article does a great job of explaining how to figure out your core values in order to achieve a higher level of self-awareness. Once you understand your values, you might find that your current career path isn’t the right one for you.
By the end of Josh’s sophomore year he had done his research and determined that he wanted to dip his feet into the world of real estate. Like most college students looking for a summer internship, Josh started sending out applications, specifically to the commercial real estate industry. But when the summer began, he didn’t have anything lined up and it was tough.
At most schools, including GWU, there is a large amount of pressure to have a summer internship with a well-known company and to be constantly grinding. Many students–myself included–often feel pressured to have the most amazing internship and gain lots of experience quickly and easily, but this isn’t always the case. For those who are currently job searching or switching careers, similar feelings might arise that you aren’t doing or achieving enough.
The New York Times discusses how jobs and their titles “come with connotations and assumptions, and leaving one role for another can shake a person’s identity and confidence to their core.” It’s important to differentiate your personal identity from your work identity. Your career doesn’t define you and switching careers won’t jeopardize your identity.
The summer after sophomore year, Josh decided to get his real estate license. He signed up for the course, took the exam, and two weeks later was a licensed real estate salesperson. That summer, Josh worked at Sotheby’s International Realty in his hometown in New Jersey. I asked him how he felt starting at a firm with career professionals and if that intimidated him. “It definitely crossed my mind,” he replied. But he explained that he was confident in his abilities. He knew his value as an employee, but was also readily transparent when he didn’t know something.
Obviously, confidence is key when starting a new role, but how can you put that into practice? This Forbes article outlines a few ways to capitalize on your own confidence. Similarly to what Josh said, it’s all about knowing your strengths and making the most of them. Conversely, know your weaknesses and consider how they may affect your confidence. Although it may be uncomfortable, addressing your weaknesses and figuring out how to minimize them can boost your confidence.
For now, Josh is invested in the real-estate industry, but he’s looking forward to seeing what the future brings and what other career shifts his life will take. As we’ve seen, it’s always important to address your career and see if it's fulfilling you to the level you would like. From there, you can determine if there's a new industry you're interested in and how your core values fit in with that. If you do eventually determine that a career shift is right for you, this Forbes article shares a step-by-step breakdown of what to expect. Meanwhile, here are four things to keep in mind when you’re figuring out if a career change is right for you.
Takeaways:
What are three things you would do for free?
What are your core values and how do they fit in with your career?
Remember that your work identity doesn’t define you.
Understand what makes you confident and capitalize on it!
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