“You have brains in your head. You have feet in your shoes. You can steer yourself any direction you choose. You’re on your own. And you know what you know. And you are the guy who’ll decide where to go,” said Dr. Seuss.
Dr. Seuss may know some things about making career decisions. All college students stare down the same life-altering decision — which career is for me, and how do I get there?
Learning from those who went before is one way to help students decide difficult career decisions.
A few Ricks College alumni shared what they’ve learned about the professional world since graduating from Ricks College.
The most basic step is to discover what you will enjoy, former Ricks College student, Dean Pratt a mechanical engineer in Kennewick, Wash., said.
“Pick something that you will be interested in. It’s hard to stay interested in something that you were never really interested in to begin with,” he said.
How do you choose wisely?
It helps to explore many different career paths and to talk to people with similar qualities, Ricks alumna, Marnie Lovstedt, said.
Lovstedt is the design and copy editor of the Daily Herald.
“Try many things,” Lovstedt said.
“If you find classes that are interesting to you, or people who are more like you, see what they are doing when they grow up. If you really know what you want to do, go talk to people in that field,” Lovstedt said.
One problem college students have is that the vast sea of career opportunities makes it difficult to pick one to pursue, said Jeanette Bennett, Utah Valley Magazine editor. One way to narrow the decision is by exploring several different fields.
“Take a variety of classes,” Bennett said. “Do more than one internship, read magazines ... and ask questions when you meet people who are happy with their careers.”
Even after you choose a career path, the work continues, Lovstedt said. She struggled to get a job in her field after getting married in 2004, and only recently found success in Provo, at the Daily Herald, about two weeks ago.
“Life is a long time,” Bennett said.
“If the dream job doesn’t land in your lap, don’t get frustrated. Enjoy the journey of finding your way through your career. If you are happy about where you are at in life and what you are doing, you have found success,” he said.
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