“What are you going to be when you grow up?” A question that starts out as a cute activity with five-year-olds quickly turns into the racing thoughts that keep you up at night as you get older. As a child, this question may have inspired you, helped you to dream big, and maybe it even was the inspiration behind a Halloween costume or two. But now, as an adult, it may prevent you from dreaming about what “all you could be,” says multipotentialite creator, Emilie Wapnick.
So, in a rapidly changing world, it’s important that we embrace the revolution that is constantly occurring. Did you know that on average, only 27% of college grads are in a career directly related to their degree? What does that tell us? That degrees, while still very valuable and important, are not the be-all, end-all. We have options and opportunities. At WT, we have roughly 60 degrees. But there are vastly more career options than 60!
According to Wapnick, a multipotentialite is someone who “has a range of interests and jobs over one lifetime.” In previous generations, it was the norm to pick one career path and follow that until you retired. But today, the average worker holds ten jobs before they reach 40 (Bureau of Labor Statistics.)
I love how Wapnick put it in her TEDxBend chat called Why Some of us Don’t Have One True Calling, “It is rarely a waste of time to pursue something you are drawn to, even if you end up quitting. You might apply that knowledge in a different field entirely, in a way that you couldn’t have anticipated.”
Our office is lucky to have Jennifer Johnson, a Career Services Coordinator. Before joining us, Jenn worked as a 7th-grade English teacher. During the hiring process, Jenn stood out because of her experience “presenting to a class.” (We were eager to have someone willing and able to take on some of the presentations we offered.) Now, she is one of our best presenters and actively uses her teaching skills for this, as well as to offer advice to colleagues.
Wapnick encourages everyone to “embrace their inner wiring.” Some people are what she calls “specialists,” meaning they’ve known what they’ve wanted to be for a long time and can actively pursue that. So, do that! Pursue that specialty you’ve been drawn to and are eager to begin.
However, if that’s not you, if you can’t make up your mind, not because you don’t know what to do, but maybe because you don’t know what not to do. Maybe you have numerous passions, and numerous paths you could take, you just don’t know how to choose.
Studies show that when we have more options to choose from, it makes the decision more difficult. And we get that, trust us, we do. That is why our office offers Career Coaching, as well as resources like YouScience. If you identify as a multipotentialite, we would love to speak with you and explore how you can pursue your many passions and turn this into your purpose. Schedule an appointment with our office by visiting Handshake and going to Career Center in the top right.
For information on upcoming Events and Webinars, click here. Head over to our YouTube channel to find previous workshops and employer information sessions.