From Guessing to Experiencing
The Fix!
The problem is not that people change their minds. The problem is how late they are forced to do it. I wrote earlier that career change demonstrates a form of resiliency. Yet, right now, the system is structured in a way that often requires a significant investment before real clarity about that that should be is even possible.
Years of education, significant cost and delayed entry into the workforce are all significant costs. Barring a rare internship that provides a cursory “best face” experience, only after this do we get exposure to the actual work.
There is a better way to approach this. Before someone commits to a path, they should have access to real exposure. Not a brochure. Not a short conversation. Not a polished version of the job. Actual experience.
Time spent observing or participating in the work. Short cycles where someone can test whether a role fits. Honest conversations with people who are doing the job every day. Videos created by the practitioners themselves portraying an honest, transparent view revealing the good, the bad and the ugly. And where we stand today, why not some sort of career simulator that exists to guide this important learning. We can also further invest in creating more opportunities down the more traditional paths such as apprenticeships, extended shadowing, rotational programs and/or trial periods.
The specific model is less important than the principle. People should be able to understand the reality of a job before making a large commitment to it. When that happens, decisions improve. People enter roles with more clarity which means they stay longer and perform better with higher degrees of satisfaction.
At the same time, the system becomes more efficient. There is less wasted time and money due to better alignment between individuals and roles.
This is not about eliminating change or exploration.
This is about moving exploration earlier not eliminating change or exploration. Doing so when the cost is lower and the learning is faster. If we do that, we help both help individuals make better decisions, we also improve how talent moves across the entire economy.
This is the last of five articles in a series called “The Hidden Tax of Guessing Your Career.” We’re not just wasting time and talent, we are misallocating it at scale. I am hoping that I was able to put a better voice to this issue so we can find a better way to address it. I’d love your thoughts and ideas and any reactions to what we can do. How can we leverage advanced technology to do this, yet in a very human-centered way?