Tips for Navigating Tough Career Questions During Holiday Breaks
By Alyssa Chaffee
College can feel like a respite for a lot of those who have pressuring parents back home. It allows the opportunity for students to not only find themselves, but discover what they want to do with their career. The transition between high school and entering the “real world” can be one of the most difficult and confusing periods in a person’s life. Luckily, Purdue offers extensive resources that will help with this transition while students are on campus.
Photo by Wendy Wei
Now, of course, Purdue cannot follow you home, but our Peer Consultants at the Center for Career Opportunities have supplied advice that may help with navigating the tough, uncomfortable questions that family members may ask at the dinner table this holiday season. The CCO offers resources for students who may be unsure about what their future career path may look like (and they're not alone, 50-75% of college students change their major). Whether you just got to college or are an upperclassman, you may not be 100% sure what you are going to do with your degree, and over-bearing questions from people close to you can make this process just that much more confusing. Don’t fret! Our Peer Consultants are students just like you that have also had to face this, and we have gathered some of their tips that you can use to spare yourself from the “what am I gonna do with my life?” breakdown (if you know, you know.) If you feel you need additional help figuring out your career path, make an appointment with the CCO for Career/Major exploration!
Make it Work for You
When our Peer Consultants were asked about the topic of tough family conversations, their top answer was the same across the board. You can make conversation topics that may seem difficult work in your favor. A simple way to turn a possibly negative conversation on its head so it works to advance your career is to network! Your family has likely been in the workforce for a very long time and have built a large network that you can access. This can be the perfect opportunity to ask whether your family might know someone that has experience in the field that you are considering going into. They may know several! And if they don’t know someone that directly relates to your chosen field, simply gaining more contacts can eventually lead you to the right person. Introducing yourself or having someone else introduce you to an industry professional will help expand your network.
The next step would be to set up an informational interview with this person. An informational interview is a short informal interview where a student or someone new to the workforce prepares questions to ask a professional. They are used to further understand a career field and how to break into it. As amazing as college classes are for your education, getting advice from people actually doing the work that you are wanting to do can be incredibly valuable. Informational interviews are also not only for those who are certain about the field they want to go into. You can also schedule various informational interviews expanding into different fields in order to make an educated decision on whether a career choice may be a good fit for you. These professionals are also able to be added to your network if you make a good impression, which then leads you to more professional contacts. For more information on informational interviews, check the CCO’s guide here.
Quick Tips
Although informational interviews and networking were the main tips from the Peer Consultants, they had some other advice that might help if you are having a hard time redirecting the conversation towards career growth. These 4 quick tips will not only make the conversation more comfortable, but might leave an open safe space to move the conversation towards networking and professional advice.
Tip 1: This is About You
It can be hard to remember that your career is yours and you should allow yourself to take the path that you want to take. When you have people supporting your education, whether it’s financially or just through loving and helping you, it can be easy to get into the habit of wanting to constantly make their investment “worth it.” The truth is, if you are well-educated and happy, their investment is worth it. The one thing that will not make their investment worth it is if you panic and spend more time worrying about what they will think than actually focusing on learning in your classes and enjoying the college experience.
Tip 2: If You Aren’t Ready to Tell Them Everything, That’s Okay
Trying to find the right career path for you can be endlessly frustrating. You may change your mind every month, or every week, or even every day! And that’s okay. Your family understands that students are supposed to have questions and change their minds often. You’re in college, it’s normal. You do not need to have everything figured out. One of our Peer Consultants gave the advice to not tell them everything if you aren’t ready. It is normal for your parents or guardians to worry about you, but you may need to figure out some of the answers to these questions on your own at your own pace.
Tip 3: Be Prepared
Although these conversations may seem unfair, your family is likely only trying to help you. These conversations may be easier to wrap your head around if you take the time to try to understand where your family is coming from. Our Peer Consultants gave the advice to set realistic expectations for the conversation. If you have had similar talks before and it has gone a certain way that leaves a negative impression, adjust your expectations and be prepared for what they might say. Steer the conversation in line with your feelings on the matter to prevent becoming discouraged. And then, you can walk away knowing that you’ve done all you can, and have held your ground.
Tip 4: Bring an Advocate
If you take the previous advice and your expectation is for the conversation to become one-sided and disheartening, it might be a good idea to bring a trusted friend or family member that you know will advocate for you. It just needs to be someone who you know will support you before, during, and after the conversation. Someone who will be your cheerleader and help guide the conversation to be more productive. However, don’t make them the middle man. Stand up for yourself!
Final Thoughts
Just remember, you’re on break! So go home, eat some good food, and enjoy yourself! College can be so stressful and busy, so take some time away and allow yourself to breathe. If a conversation comes up that has the potential to make your career search negative and stressful rather than a fun, explorative journey, follow our guide! And if you are ever in need of a little bit of advice, make an appointment to come see one of our Peer Consultants in person. Remember, you’ve got this.