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I asked people at the Association for Experiential Education conference a question: how do you find meaningful work – make a thoughtful plan or let it magically unfold? (Full disclosure: as an incentive to answer the question, I held a drawing and gave away prizes. If you keep reading, you will see that I am giving away more prizes at the end of this post.) Nearly everyone answered my question with a question: how do I find meaningful work or how should I find it? How do you prefer to find it? I replied. Seventy percent of the people I surveyed said that they would prefer to let their careers magically unfold. Seventy percent!  The message that we get from society is that successful people have a plan. Successful people know from a very young age what they want to do when they grow up. They use the knowledge of their perfect-match dream career to motivate them to get good grades in high school, use those grades to get into a good college, and land a satisfying, high-paying job as soon as they graduate. I think society is perpetuating a myth AND I think it is freaking people out. I recently interviewed more than a dozen successful professionals in the fields of experiential education and conservation science to learn about their career paths. Not a single one of the people I interviewed said that they were aiming for this career from a young age. Several of them mentioned an aha moment when they knew what they wanted to do, but that moment was typically sometime in their twenties and more of a vague idea than a concrete plan. A few of the people I talked to had several different aha moments on several different career paths. So, should you make a thoughtful plan or let your career magically unfold? You should probably do a little bit of both. Regardless of your path, you should take the time to study the profession once you have your “a ha” moment and you know what you want to do with your life. You owe it to yourself to do some research for two reasons. First, you’ll know what you are getting yourself into. Second, you will gain a leg up on the competition for your dream job because you’ll probably know more than they do. Do your homework by asking: who is working in jobs that appeal to you and how did they get there? What do they like and dislike about their job? Could you follow their path to a similar career? My previous post has suggestions for personal professional development (specifically see ideas see #4, #5, and #6). What if you haven’t had your aha moment yet? I have a few ideas for that too. I developed a career mapping workshop that facilitates the career brainstorming, visioning, and professional research process. You can see an overview video here and the handout here. You will also be able to sign up for the online version of the workshop in December at www.educatewild.com. Now I ask you, engaged reader, how do you find meaningful work – make a thoughtful plan or let it magically unfold? And when has that worked or not worked for you? As a thank you for commenting on this post, I will send an Educate Wild! Outdoor Educator’s Tiny Bag of Tricks to one randomly selected person who comments on this post by noon PST on Wednesday, November 9, 2016 (Micah, this is your chance!). 11/3/2016 05:32:14 am
Hi Angie,
Angie
11/3/2016 06:05:44 pm
Hi Sarah! A friend of mine recently said that he wished that he had just chosen to spend time early in his career with people who were doing cool, inspiring things because it probably would have taken him to a more fulfilling place than where he finds himself now. I think your approach is a good one. I appreciate your word choice helped me "notice" my next step because it suggests that we are just carried along by our careers when things are working. 11/3/2016 03:39:40 pm
Interesting- I came into the outdoor world in a round about way as well. I never thought about a career where I could be outside all the time. I wonder why that is? I love being outside, but didn't put it on my career list!
Angie
11/3/2016 06:07:43 pm
I don't think very many Americans have "teach classes outdoors" on their career list when they are young. Are we even taught to think that is possible? Your outdoor preschool is an inspiring project and I hope it gets more people motivated to think outside of the box when it comes to jobs - and learning.
Halli
11/7/2016 10:52:24 pm
I think there is balance between planning a meaningful career and letting it magically unfold. I'm sure I'm not the only one who had a "flawless" plan to have a meaningful and successful career, only to come across bumps in the road or unexpected turbulence. In the end though, I think the key to making sure that our work as meaningful as educators and naturalists is to always think outside the box about the difference you could be making. Sure, not every position we take will be an obvious stepping stone towards solving the world's issues, but "meaning" cannot always be measured by what happens immediately afterward. My advice? Stay positive. Look forward. Remember that career paths rarely exist as a straight line, and don't be afraid to give it your all, even if conditions aren't ideal. One day, these efforts will culminate in what you will refer to as your successful career.
Rick
11/7/2016 11:24:37 pm
My current career at first glance seems like an eclectic combination of interests. My degree is actually in engineering. I was involved with SAR and the Boy Scouts which started my interest in wilderness trips. Then I was a field guide for several seasons and got involved with an organization in the full time side of that. I became a trainer within that organization along with the administrative role, then picked up instructing medical courses. I keep my personal skills sharp by volunteering on the ambulance and guiding trips in a different discipline outside the organization. I picture it kind of like a group of magnets. The central magnet has been my enjoyment of being a guide and instructor which has been the common attraction to all the peripheral pursuits that support that core desire. I haven't so much planned the route to this destination, but have arrived at it by pursuing opportunities that led back to that core desire of guiding and instructing. I'm a recovering engineer too. ;) I really like the magnet metaphor. I feel like I have three or four points of attraction - wilderness, science, teaching, art - in my life and career and while they are always at play, it is hard to know which one is in the forefront at any given time. 11/8/2016 03:25:55 am
Angie: It is hard to imagine a young person who knew that they wanted a career in Boy Scout Risk Management! What youngster would even know that was an option? I agree that most of us need to build our careers on a collection of skills, experiences, and knowledge (that sometimes seem unrelated) that we acquire over our lifetimes. I'm glad you are bringing risk management to scouting.
Christy
11/8/2016 06:51:27 am
I fully believe that both are necessary. I always knew I wanted to be a social worker. But the adventure aspect of it was something I fell into, literally. So in that way I have been lucky enough for it to magically happen. But since graduation, I've had to make a carefully laid out plan for my adventure career to continue. Living in a city that has no other Adventure Therapy programs, I carefully plan what I want to happen next, but then also hold on tight to see where and how it all plays out. Kinda stressful. Kinda amazing. Never dull... I agree that both are necessary (but it is fun to force people to pick :). Some of the people that I know who love adventure education but live in places where it isn't readily available have learned to redefine "adventure". Corporate team building facilitation, urban hiking trips (I saw something cool about the Los Angeles River recently), and other creative ways to blend their passions into their dream job. Keep me (us) posted on where life's adventure takes you! I find inspiration by looking where interesting natural and ecological ideas intersect with social relevant challenges. For example, I love walking through healthy native grasslands, and the more I do the more I see. Appreciating the exquisite beauty of a native bunchgrass that is several decades old, seeing the sparrows bounce in an out of view, and lifting my eyes to the long views through the thin, dry, crisp air of northern Arizona is a gift that I am grateful for every day. And at the same time, vast expanses of degraded grasslands, often the result of failed management and neglect, point to a big problem that costs us all dearly -- environmentally, economically, and socially. Working on research and the application of science to management becomes inspiring because I get to understand the people who are working hard to fix things and restore the beauty and the productivity of the grassland, while proving new kinds of opportunities to the families and communities. Sometimes these people are from the conservation movement, sometimes from ranching families. Artists, hunters, mountain bikers...lots of people find common ground -- and inspiration -- when they share an appreciation for the beautiful intricacies and healthy ecosystems You aren't a conservation biologist, are you? ;) The intersection of natural beauty and social challenge that you described is at the heart of why so many of us choose to teach outdoors. We love nature and want to help people. We've seen our students be transformed by the kinds of experiences you described (both the exquisite ones and the ones that focus on degradation and neglect), so we know this is a powerful way to teach. Finding common ground in the conservation community - especially among people from the diverse backgrounds you mentioned - feels especially valuable now. Specifically today as the US election is underway. Thanks for the reminder.
Christopher
11/8/2016 01:42:15 pm
Angie, Shucks. Thanks, Christopher. I too have wondered if flexible, adaptable people are drawn to outdoor education (more specifically to the AEE conference where I polled people) or if people in general are closeted about their desire for magic. It is true that getting necessary certifications (and refreshing them before they expire) takes careful planning. I'm working on a project now to interview people who have different Myers-Briggs personality types and have had successful careers in outdoor education and / or conservation science to try to get at your question. Comments are closed.
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