1. Insights:
Things that may have helped:
• A better advisor
• A more accessible-feeling
career center
• More visible career options
for a physics major that was
not limited to academia.
Lessons learned:
• Take advantage of the
career center
• Reach out to talk to more
people
• Getting to your dream job
may require many
unexpected stepping stones
• It may be harder for
introverts to jump into the
job search and succeed
right away.
Problem statement:
A high-performing, organized, shy student-athlete with a physics degree needs a way to overcome the
mental and emotional barriers of accessing resources, because job-seeking is a complicated and
competitive process that is difficult to prepare for alone, especially when you are introverted.
Say:
“I had no idea what to do during interviews or how
to write a resume. I didn't know what types of jobs
I should be aiming for. A lot of these things I
probably could have worked out using the career
center but I didn't, because it was a mixture of
pride and embarrassment and shyness. It's a
fantastic mixture.”
“Especially since you've done really well in school,
you don't want to admit you don't know what
you're doing.”
“At first I didn't think grad school was necessary for
getting a job. Later on I felt more comfortable
going to a grad school program that was different
from my major. “
“Doing applicable summer internships during
college would have made things a lot easier. I
would have had more skills, connections, known
what I was good at. “
“It would have been helpful if I'd had an advisor
that actually advised me. “
“I took a lot of stepping stones.”
“Things all worked out in the end.”
Feel:
I felt lost, scared, and
frustrated.
I felt alone in this process.
I’m in the right
place now.
Think:
• Summer internships would help with
finding a job after college.
• Having a physics major can only lead to
an academic career.
• Some sacrifices of ambition were
necessary at the beginning.
• Doing well in school does not lead to a
great job.
• I had limited skills to offer.
Do:
N/A