How Do You Really Figure Out What You Want to Do?

This is week four of the Pathfinder Fellowship. Every week on Mondays, we take a field trip to businesses or community organizations to learn about different job skills and issues. This Monday we teamed up with Zack Simone, an executive at Fox Studios. We learned about the way television and its ratings work. The way Zack talked to us, he sounded like he enjoys his job and what he does.

After each field trip, we also get homework assignments. After leaving Fox Studios, our assignment was to reflect on career paths that interest us. It was a good exercise because it got us thinking about what we want to do. Although we are all in this fellowship, we have different perspectives on our lives.

I, Airren, am most interested in being a spoken word artist and in media work. Working on my writing skills will help me advance and give me more knowledge so that I can understand what's going on in the world and create a story about it.

I, Desiray, am most interested in being a probation officer and just helping young children go on the right path. But then again, I still don't know if I want to do that. My mind is still not made up and I'm just trying to take it day by day and see what interests me. I still have a long journey to go before I figure out what it is that I want to do.

Elmer Reyes, one of the other Pathfinder Fellows, is working at TOMS. He says being at TOMS has opened his mind to new career paths. Being around the people who work there has also inspired him to give back. "It doesn't necessarily have to be giving shoes," says Reyes, "but I do feel like traveling the world and helping in whichever way I can."

Reyes also says he wants to go back to school and major in communications. "I've noticed that most job descriptions require at least a bachelor's degree," he says. "I am definitely motivated to go to school so I can continue my path in a professional business." Kyle Mitchell, a Pathfinder Fellow working at Team Rubicon, says the "internship has definitely opened my eyes to thinking about different career paths." Mitchell's thinking about applying for a position at Fox Studios or trying to become a full time employee at Team Rubicon. "What interests me most about Team Rubicon," says Mitchell, "is that not only is everybody really close, but the pride that comes with Team Rubicon is awesome, and the work ethic produced by each individual is amazing."

As you can see, this is just the start of our journey as we figure out what we might want to do with our lives. Going on field trips and exploring what we are interested in is helpful because it gets us a little bit of a head start. We know you've also had to figure out the ins and outs of what you want to do with your life, so we could use your advice. How is it that you figured out (or are figuring out) what you want to do with your life or career?

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Desiray Figueroa and Airren Kirk are two members of the Pathfinder Fellowship, a joint effort of GOOD/Corps and The California Endowment. They're working as interns with GOOD's community team.