This presentation outlines 4 areas of career focus for students studying Humanities and Social Science degrees

1. Bridging the gap
Liberal
Arts
Education
Meaningful
Work

2. You’ve made it to Stanford, what a success!

3. You’ve made it to Stanford, what a success!
But why is everyone so concerned about
your major?

4. Everyone has an
opinion about
what you should
study….

5. Everyone has an
opinion about
what you should
study….
Or who you
should be….

6. So why are people always recommending
the same type of options

7. So why are people always recommending
the same type of options
Technical
Computer Science
Engineering
Architecture
Financial
Banking
Consulting
Doctoral
Medicine
Law
Academia

8. So why are people always recommending
the same type of options
Technical
Computer Science
Engineering
Architecture
Financial
Banking
Consulting
Doctoral
Medicine
Law
Academia
What if these paths
are not for me?

9. I want to find my path to
Meaningful Work

10. These paths are recommended because the road to
success seems linear

11. Engineering majors Engineers
Law students Lawyers
Business majors Consultants
These paths are recommended because the road to
success seems linear

12. A less defined path can be
scary, and leave you
feeling…

13. A less defined path can be
scary, and leave you
feeling…
Pressured
Worried
Concerned
Overwhelmed
uncertain

15. Feelings of frustration, confusion, or anxiety
arise.

16. Feelings of frustration, confusion, or anxiety
arise.
You’re Thinking
Where am I going?
What should I be doing?
How should I be doing it?
When should I be doing it?
Why should I be doing it?

17. There are
multiple tracks
to choose
from… which
is best for me?

18. There are
multiple tracks
to choose
from… which
is best for me?
Explore these
4 Areas of
Focus to find
the answer.

19. 4 Areas of Focus
Priorities and Preferences
What is important to you in your career,
and what you prefer to do
Experiences
Experiences are the foundation on
which skills are built and developed
Self-Promotion
All the ways you market yourself
“i.e. Resume, LinkedIn, Interview,
Network”
Connections
Growing a Network that will help you
Gather information, identify, and
secure opportunities

20. Priorities and Preferences
A Closer
Look
Reflect
Explore
Experience
Foresight

21. Reflect

22. Reflect
Think about what’s
important to you and why

23. Explore

24. Explore
Find new ways to gather
relevant information to
inform you of the landscape

25. Experience

26. Experience
There is no substitute for
exploring through doing

27. Foresight

28. Foresight
Prepare for what lies ahead

29. Self-Promotion
A Closer
Look
Resume
Cover Letter
Interview
LinkedIn

30. Resume

31. Resume
A list of your experiences
highlighting those that are
most relevant to a desired
position

32. Cover Letter

33. Cover Letter
A summary of your specific
experiences highlighting
successes that are most
relevant to a desired position

34. Interview

35. Interview
Your chance to articulate the
connection between your
experiences and the duties
and responsibilities of a
desired position

36. LinkedIn

37. LinkedIn
Your digital presence/brand
and display of meaningful
experiences

38. Connections
A Closer
Look
Network
Referrals
Self-Reflection
Opportunity Insights

39. Network

40. Network
build a network of contacts
that connect you to people
and opportunities in the
market

41. Referrals

42. Referrals
Referrals come in a variety
of forms, and they influence
the majority of hiring
decisions

43. Self-Reflection

44. Self-Reflection
learn from others about
what they do for work and
why they do it to gain
perspective and insight

45. Opportunity
Insights

46. Opportunity
Insights
Individuals in an organization
have inside knowledge and
specifics about opportunities
from within

47. Experiences
Experience Reflection
Skill Reflection
Validation
Evaluation
!We will explore “Experiences”
deeper through these 4 exercises!
A Closer
Look

48. Experience
Reflection
Skill
Reflection
list all your
experiences
that could be
relevant to
work
!
Make a list of
all of the
skills you
believe you
possess that
could in some
way be
relevant to
work
!
Exercise!#1! Exercise!#2!

49. Skills Validation
To validate your skills, be sure
that they can each be
supported or have a foundation
in one of the experiences you
have had in your life (brand
Pyramid)
!
Exercise!#3!

50. Evaluation
Compare your list of validated
skills (Brand Pyramids) to the
requirements of a job
description (Position Pyramid)
to assess needed experiences.
!
Exercise!#4!

51. Thank&You!&
&
Ahmad wright
Assistant Director - diversity
Beam, Stanford career education
ahmadbw@stanford.edu
Twitter: @ahmadbwright