Julie Hamel, Assistant Director Kelsey Ploeger, Assistant Director University Career Center The University of Kansas career.ku.edu Identifying Passion and Purpose: Strategies for Moving Students from Confusion to Clarity

Demystifying Passion, Purpose, & Calling “…the place where your deep gladness and the world’s deep hunger meet.” – Fredrick Buechner “Purpose is a stable and generalized intention to accomplish something that is at the same time meaningful to the self and consequential for the world beyond the self.” – Work on Purpose An Epic Crusade

But it’s oh so weighty… It may be… Closer than you think Something that you do or find yourself talking about on a regular basis Something you’d be willing to take a stand for It’s not just… A fiery emotion One distant issue or specific cause The only thing that matters

Passion and the World of Work Inside Work Outside Work Alongside Work Fulfillment/satisfaction Example: love of sports Inside work Sports marketing Athletic training Alongside work Wellness committee Captain of work softball team Outside work Watching sports with friends/family Volunteering at sporting events

Types of Clients Visionary  General, unfocused career plans  Lofty passion Big dreams – how to execute? Nearsighted  Focused on “what’s now”  Can’t see future or alternative career paths Narrow, present focus – how to zoom out? Searching  Searching, wants definition/focus  Can’t find specific career interests, exploration areas Wants a dream – how to define? Farsighted  Narrowly focused on “what’s ahead”  Can’t see what actions should be taken for present career planning Narrow, future focus – how to zoom in?

Visionary Lofty, vague goal identified, flexible approach Passion/purpose identified, but don't know how to get there Idea based on a hunch without being tested out Field identified, but not a particular position

What the visionary student might say….. “I want to write children’s literature.” “I want to start my own nonprofit/tech company.” “My dream job is to work for the U.S. State Department.”

Challenges Seeing “what's now” Specifying goals, work function, position type, path Breaking down big dreams into smaller pieces

Activities Coaching Questions: How did you develop this idea? What have you been doing to explore this idea/goal? Is achieving this goal realistic with effort and commitment? If so, what’s a good first step? Dream Job Activity Find an actual job posting – what are the requirements and how could you meet those? Find an individual working in this field – what experiences or training do they have?

Nearsighted Can only see “what's now” Exact specifications: wants a job, wants a direct answer, sense of urgency Can’t see how current choices fit into long-term goals

What the nearsighted student might say… “I’m applying to the Business School; there are always jobs in Business.” “I love my Anthropology major, but what job can I do with that? “I want to work in marketing. What major should I choose?”

Challenges for the nearsighted student… Opening up to deeper introspection, assessing future needs Considering “what's ahead” Broadening limited knowledge base Lack of support for exploring passions Seeing career options related to major

Activities Coaching Questions: What do you already know about _________ that is influencing your career interests? What classes, topics, or projects have you especially enjoyed? Ideally, what will your life be like in 5 (10) years? Head, Heart, and Hustle

Farsighted Knows exactly where they want to go, more specified than visionary clients Rigid plans based on limited knowledge (foreclosed) When challenges arise, have difficulty making adjustments

What the farsighted student might say… “I want to be a physical therapist; I love sports and want to help people.” “I want to work in international business as soon as I graduate.” “I always wanted to be a lawyer but my LSAT scores are low.”

Challenges for the farsighted student… Ideas not fully formed or informed; based on a hunch rather than actual research or experience Preparing for unforeseen obstacles Formulating alternative plans Taking themselves too seriously

Activities Coaching Questions What is it about ________ that piques your interest? What do you know about the work tasks/functions of this particular career/position? What options have you considered if ___________ doesn’t work out? Cognitive Mapping Activity

Law JusticeAdvocacy Verbal persuasion Influence Social Worker Supervisor /manager Judge Public official

Searching Longing for value Seeking to build skills and pursue opportunities Lacking self-awareness High aspirations, low certainty

What the searching student might say… “I don’t know what I want to do with my life.” “I want to make a difference in people’s lives.” “I’m not sure what I’m doing here at college.” “I want to make my family proud.”

Challenges for the searching student… Identifying interests, skills, and abilities Generating career options Limited experiences to draw from Digging deeper; identifying values

Activities Coaching Questions: What do you do so naturally that you find it hard to explain to others? What are the recurring themes in the books you read, movies you watch, and leisure activities you enjoy? What causes would you be willing to speak up about? List of 20

Using an Action Plan

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