Students feel pressure to choose a career path early without proper guidance and support. They say they don't know what they want to do or what other options exist, and changing paths is difficult. Students think they should have it all figured out but actually feel lost, stressed, and overwhelmed without knowing who to turn to for advice. There is a need for earlier career mentoring to help students experience a smoother transition from school to their career.

1. Meredith’s Empathy Map
Problem Statement: Students need to be exposed to career knowledge/advice and
mentorship from a young age to experience a smooth school-to-work transition and
ultimately achieve satisfaction in their career.
Stakeholder: Students
SAY
“This is what’s expected of me”
“I don’t know what I want”
“This is what I’ve always wanted”
“I don’t know what else there is”
“This is just easier”
DO
“I chose my career path early on”
“Stick with one thing & didn’t change”
I struggled with all the options”
“I changed majors constantly”
“I took longer in school”
FEEL
THINK
“I should know this – I’m an adult now”
“I don’t know what I’m doing”
“I have to succeed and this is my key”
“I have to look like I know what I’m doing”
“I can do it all on my own”
“It’s lonely sometimes feeling
like you have to do it all alone”
“It’s stressful needing the money”
“It’s pretty overwhelming –
all the options”
-Students face pressure from
multiple sources:
parents, peers, society, & even
themselves to achieve “success
-Some choose a career path early
on and stick to it no matter
what, others change and
struggle—both due to a variety of
reasons
“Not knowing is embarrassing”
-Students have no
true career guidance
until college, at
which point it is
underutilized and
often too late