Seeking career insights!

johannexiong·Sep 22, 2023

Hey! my name is Johanne, originally from China, and currently living in New York. This is my first post on Elpha!

So I understand that many professionals go through periods of self-reflection, especially after reaching certain milestones, like graduating or shifting industries. After months of struggling with reflection regarding my future career paths and consulting numerous mentors, I am reaching out to this vast and experienced community to seek guidance.

Last year, marking five years into my professional voyage, I took the bold step of relocating to New York to pursue a master's in analytics. Fast forward to today, as I began my final semester, I am trying so hard to figure out what I wanna do after graduation. While my diverse background provides me with a lot of options, it also raises questions: What exactly is my expertise? Which industry aligns best with my background, and what role suits me next? My professional experiences span sectors like marketing & branding, business strategy & development, event and project management, business/market analysis, and entrepreneurship. Meanwhile, my graduate studies have ignited a passion for data science and cloud computing.

The challenge I face now is not about my lack of skill or experience, but about where to channel my diverse background and expertise. It's a paradox of plenty - having too many paths to choose from and feeling slightly paralyzed by choice. More concretely, I am lost; I can't find a clear career direction that I can work toward. Therefore, I hope you can help me find an answer:

1. For multifaceted professionals like myself, is there a particular strategy for choosing the next career move?

2. How do you define "expertise"? Is it about the number of years you spent in one field or the quality of varied experiences across different domains?

3. Are there specific sectors or industries that value professionals who have a diverse skill set, as opposed to niche specialists?

I genuinely believe in the power of collective wisdom and would greatly appreciate any insights, or advice you could share. Let's connect, chat, and collaborate! Thank you!

rachelserwetz·Sep 22, 2023

Hey @johannexiong, first I want to commend you as it's clear you have given this a lot of thought and I know it's difficult to clarify what career is the best option for you. Given what you're writing, I recommend pursuing career exploration which includes a series of steps of practical learning and self-reflection in order to compare, contrast, and clarify which role, industry, and environment is the best fit for you. Here are some links you can use to find out more about the process – https://www.iamwoken.com/post/the-chicken-and-the-egg-how-to-break-the-cycle-of-job-hopping-and-unfulfillment and https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hHVpBpxGY9gPS, I’m Rachel. If you want to discuss further, check my profile to book a call to dive deeper into your goals/challenges.

beckystephens7·Sep 27, 2023

Hiii, I've really benefitted from career coaching myself. The best ones look at you as a whole person - career decisionsHiii, I've really benefitted from career coaching myself. The best ones look at you as a whole person - career decision involve your life, where you live and your relationships. I've found mentors for coaching and job related questions on Meander and found it really useful - https://meander.so/

sarahing·Oct 03, 2023

Hi Joanne! Happy first post. Multi-faceted coach/manager here! The great thing about tech is that you can move across industries. I started my engineering career (after a degree in English and a stint writing) in Advertising, Education, Government, and then Music Production! So, when you're feeling paralyzed please know you can always move around and evolve.I'd define expertise as depth of knowledge in something. Does that person have insight other people wouldn't know right off the bat in a domain? Have they acquired skills that are difficult to learn?What are you leaning towards as your next step? What excites you the most? Data science and cloud computing are growing fields and if you're interested in it, that'd be quite promising.Hope that helps and let us know what you end up doing!Sarah