This document discusses various methods a graduate student could use to determine their future career path, including both practical existing methods and more imaginative "magic" ideas. It evaluates the student's options based on their available money and time. The top three proposed ideas are a website to match students with professional mentors, partnerships between businesses and universities to guide curriculum and provide real-world experience, and a YouTube network following young professionals in various workplaces to give insight into different careers.

1.
A
dedicated,
goal-­‐driven,
and
creative
graduate
student
needs
a
way
to
see
the
future
(know
what
she
wants
to
do
for
work)
because
she
needs
to
prepare
for
work,
which
is
a
very
different
environment
from
school.
Existing
Methods
Books
about
careers
School
advisors
Business
Magazine
Articles
Glamour
@
Work
section
Parents
Older
siblings
Professional
Mentors
Aptitude
tests
Work
Personality
Quizzes
TV
Shows
Take
Your
Kid
to
Work
Day
Corporate
Websites
Internships
Network
with
Professionals
Google
It
Magic
Ideas
Time
Travel
Message
from
your
older
self
Genetic
testing
to
match
future
career
Brain
download
of
knowledge
Goggles
that
let
you
see
the
future
Buy
a
DeLorean
Five
Year
Old
Child
Ask
Mom/Dad
Watch
clouds
imagine
Turn
the
clock
ahead
Get
binoculars
Take
a
jet
plane
very
fast
Spin
around
in
circles
into
you
go
to
the
future
Play
Dress
Up
/
Role
Play
All
the
Money
in
the
World
Semester
College,
Semester
Internship
–
8
years
to
graduate
Go
to
work
entry
level,
then
return
to
school
Spend
your
20s
exploring
the
world,
then
go
to
school
Start
Your
own
company,
reinvent
how
business
is
done
No
Money
Volunteer
in
the
office
of
charities
Skip
school
and
work
your
way
up
from
mailroom
Civil
Service,
Required
Mentoring
Variation
of
Existing
Paid
Professional
Mentorships,
like
Americorps
Reality
TV
of
Work
Places
Business
/
College
Partnerships
to
Guide
Curriculum
Reverse
Internship,
work
first
then
go
to
school
Ask
a
Professional
–
App/Website
Match.com
for
Professional
mentors
Do
the
things
you
enjoy
the
most
Take
classes
to
broaden
you
skills,
not
narrow

2.
Top
Three
Ideas
PRACTICAL
DISRUPTIVE
FAVORITE
Match.com
for
Mentors
A
website
where
business
professionals
can
volunteer
to
mentor
and
students
are
matched
with
them
using
a
goals
and
personality
quiz.
Could
also
match
school
alumni
with
each
other
for
even
deeper
engagement
and
networking.
Students
and
mentors
can
explore
several
possible
connections
but
then
also
use
the
platform
to
communicate;
weekly
“web
meetings”
would
be
encouraged
as
well
as
Q&A
or
chat
sessions.
Site
could
be
gamified
where
students
earn
badges
for
participation
and
those
could
be
used
as
“certifications”
on
resume/LinkedIn.
Professionals
could
also
earn
badges
that
could
be
recognized
by
professional
associations
and
major
businesses
as
a
way
to
earn
management
experience
and
advance
in
their
own
careers.
Participation
occurs
due
to
these
certified
“badges”
and
the
extra
recognition
it
would
garner
for
both
student
and
mentor.
Money
could
be
made
from
advertising,
as
there
is
a
host
of
companies
wanting
to
focus
on
this
particular
demographic.
Business
/
University
Partnerships
to
Guide
Curriculum
No
university/college
could
offer
a
degree
program
without
at
least
three
business
sponsors,
whose
executives
sit
on
the
board
of
the
university’s
curriculum
committee.
A
professional
association
would
also
be
a
board
member.
These
business
sponsors
also
commit
to
providing
internships
for
students
within
the
programs
and
serving
as
sponsors
for
real-­‐world
projects
to
be
completed
in
the
classes.
While
theory
would
still
be
taught,
tactical
application
in
the
business
world
would
also
be
provided.
Professionals
from
the
business
would
serve
as
mentors
to
the
students
providing
career
advice
throughout
their
schooling.
Reality
TV
of
Workplaces
While
it
might
not
be
a
high
profile
as
Undercover
Boss,
you
could
build
a
YouTube
network
focused
solely
on
following
the
careers
of
young
professionals
across
a
variety
of
real
workplaces.
The
series
would
include
day
to
day
work
activities,
work
socializing
like
lunch
or
happy
hour,
and
also
the
one-­‐on-­‐one
confessional.
You
would
watch
the
struggles
of
young
professionals
making
the
transition
from
school
to
work,
hear
the
advice
and
learn
from
their
mistakes
–
and
successes!