
~ A "Letters from Silicon Valley" Series ~
Recently, I read a suggestion that to be happy in your job, you should follow your life's unique purpose. While this sounds good on the surface, I think the expectation that you should know and fulfill your life's unique purpose sets a lot of people up for self-criticism and feelings of failure. The assumption that we have only one life purpose reminds me of the concept; a “tyranny of the should.” I learned of this theory while at Oregon in the Psychology department. The “tyranny of the should” suggests, when you think there is only one idealized or perfect self that you 'should' be, then you suffer as you hopelessly try to define and live up to what you think you 'should' be.
Many successful innovators of Silicon Valley follow a well-used set of ideas and techniques that can be applied to creating your career. It's called Design Thinking. In Design Thinking, initial brainstorming is not limited by striving for one perfect product or service. The same is true in your career – different times in your life will offer different possibilities. When we are unsure how to proceed, we can use Design Thinking to help us explore options and move forward. If you're feeling stuck, either in your current position or industry, try following the Design Thinking prototyping method to become unstuck.
To start, think of two or three different types of work that you might like to do. When considering alternatives think about roles that utilize your strengths and interests and also help finesse things you don't like or aren't very good at. Here’s an example of how one student used Design Thinking to figure out his next steps. A business student was about to graduate and thought he ‘should’ have a career in sales, like his dad. However, he wasn't really interested in sales and apparently it showed in his interviews, as he didn't receive any job offers. When he thought about his skills and what he was excited about, he realized he was a natural at understanding customers, writing, planning, research, sports, analysis, socializing, traveling, helping people, and teaching. In exploring job alternatives he did informational interviews with people in the following roles; sports writing, marketing, and youth counseling. He then wrote down "prototypes" of what he might do in each role. While all of the roles were interesting to him, he found that marketing maximized his strengths and interests in business and people. His subsequent interviews were more successful and he landed a marketing position. In the early stage of his career, this Oregon graduate is happy with his position and has found an additional purpose as a youth soccer league volunteer, which helps him stay active and give back to his community.
In my experience, it's a useful technique to brainstorm ideas and prototype alternatives when you're feeling stuck in your career. There's no one size fits all or a perfect work path. There are lots of different roles that you can be good at and many that will give you a sense of purpose. You don't have to do what other people think you should be doing. You don’t need to try to live up to an idealized version of what you should be.
I wish you the best as you reflect on your many unique purposes and explore different career paths. Remember, you can find meaning in lots of different work throughout your life.
Go Ducks!
Warm regards,
~ Humberto
Contact:
humberto@chacon.us