A recent college graduate is unsure about their career direction and wants to quickly try different work options to assess what would be the best fit. They feel conflicted about balancing considerations like further education, financial stability, social connections, and personal growth. Not having a clear next steps is causing uncertainty.

1. Problemstatement
Stakeholder
NEEDS AWAYTO
(describe person using empathetic language) (needs areVERBS)
DO
SAY
THINK
FEEL
BECAUSE
InsightNeed
STAKEHOLDER
Insights
DesignThinking Action Lab 2013
Don’ want to commit to 3 years more of training;
I will be an en7rely different person.
Is it my chance to learn art or social issues?
Does that mean star7ng over? That’s scary.
We have to call ourselves something –
an ar7st or an architect.
It’s an iden7ty issue.
Dras7c transi7on
How to pursue the possibili7es,
exactly.
School and work life contrasts are
important to understanding the
range of what is possible.
Social connection, intellectual
stimulation, chance to contribute,
and financial status are factors
largely determined or impacted by
both school and work choice.
Quality of life is a mix of many
factors that you have some control
over, and what is best for you is
dynamic.
How these factors about work and
school affect your happiness and
productivity is complex. How can we
evaluate it? How can we understand
and build the best mix for now?
Choices now will determine
opportunities later.
Each choice is not just a choice, but a path.
Hard to know how to evaluate very different
choices, each with different level of
experience.
Resume writing, how to organize and present
self.
Strategic preparation for interviews,
understand company, what questions to ask
Try out a couple of jobs that did not fit.
Conflicted over next steps.
Unsure how to balance different
considerations.
Not comfortable about living
situation.
Missing a clear direction.
Recently graduated 20-
something who is unsure
about career direction
Quickly try out and
holistically assess
different options for
work & career.
Experiments / experience
will give the best info on
what the options truly
are.