Assignment for Design Thinking Action Lab

1. EMPATHY MAP + PROBLEM STATEMENTS
DesignThinking Action Lab
Dan Powell
August 5, 2013

2. SAY"The school-to-work transition for me started in February before graduating from school."
"My roommate and I sat down and made a highly unrealistic budget. We had no idea how to budget it."
"Based on the budget, we'd have a minimum salary. It got depressing."
"The kind of job I wanted wouldn't be at a career fair."
"Kept a spreadsheet of like 200 jobs."
"Didn't use the career center. Maybe to review my resume. It was very one-size-fits-all."
"I started telling people I was graduating, hoping someone would have a specific need for my skill set."
"[ ] is a fun thing but if you want to have a good job and stability you should do [ ]."
"This is the job and they're paying money and you are doing what you think you want to do."
"You've never really done the thing you think you want to do."
"I couldn't derive my value or worth from the job the way I wanted to."
"I don't think I was mature enough to handle all the responsibility I had."
"I'm jealous of our co-op because she gets to have this real-life experience so young."
"I wasn't panicking until I realized I wouldn't have a place to live."
"I think there should be more of a stress when you leave high school."
"Kids should realize they're going to be taking on a tremendous amount of debt they'll need to pay off."
"Right now I'm so much of an advocate gap year programs."
"I feel like if I'd worked for a year it'd be easier to transition."
"It gets to the point where all of the job descriptions sound the same."
"I applied to the job I'm at now because it didn't require a cover letter."
"You can't get lost in the sea of the shoulds."
“You need to accept that you won’t hear back from a lot of companies.”
“95% of the time I say yes to an activity someone suggests, I get some unexpected benefit out of it.”
“Meeting and talking to people is a really good way to get a feel for what’s out there / get hired.”

3. THINKThe transition really hits when it’s time to apply for jobs.
You don’t know much about real life before you graduate.
I should have majored in [ ] instead.
Career fair jobs are the boring ones I don’t want.
You have to apply to a ton of jobs if you want to get accepted at one.
College career centers are only marginally useful.
Networking is one of the better ways to find work.
There is a lot of social stigma surrounding my true passion.
If you’re having fun then you may not be earning as much money as you could.
The more work experience you have during school, the better idea you have of what job you’ll like.
You really shouldn’t worry about having a baller resume.
Your job is a good indication of what you’re about.
Taking classes is not adequate preparation for a job.
Real work experience is the best job preparation.
The transition from school to work hits you hard with not much time left.
You don’t realize how much of your life you have to build on your own after school.
High schoolers don’t realize how important it is to focus in college.
Job descriptions are inhuman and you don’t really know what you’re going to get.
Interviews are where you can get a better feel for what the company is like.
Be realistic about what your skill set is like.
You should definitely spend time figuring out what you want your life to look like in the future.
Networking is a good way to get hired.
You can and should get useful knowledge / experience from asking questions to a working professional.

4. FEELThe transition starts when you’re a senior.
Career centers give you information more than advice.
It’s really important to pursue your passion.
Discovering what you’re passionate about is 99% your job.
If I do what I’m passionate about, I won’t make as much money.
If I do what I’m passionate about, I will be frowned upon by society.
Stability is strongly based on how much money you’re earning.
More work experience during school = better job prospects.
Your first job isn’t your last job.
Your job strongly affects your happiness.
Work experience should be built into school curricula.
Gap years are a good way to discover what you’re passionate about.
I didn’t really know how to tell which companies would be a good fit from the job description.
It isn’t that important to be super well-read on the company.
Take opportunities that are offered to you; most of the time they’ll be useful.
High school students should not go to college unless they have a good idea of what they want.

5. STAKEHOLDERSuzette is a witty, energetic young American
who is detail-oriented, hard-working, and
good at switching between the big picture
and details.
NEEDS AWAYTO PROBLEM/NEED BECAUSEINSIGHT
Many college students don’t actually know what they’re truly passionate about.
The only person who knows what you’re passionate about is you.
Prioritizing financial stability makes you much unhappier than you realize.
Real work experience is a great way to discover what kind of job you’ll be happy with.
Networking is a great way for jobs to discover you.
discover what she’s truly passionate about
learn about career options out there before / instead of college
choose a major / classes that are personally interesting / stimulating
experience careers during school
start talking with / working with professionals
Chosen Problem Statement