In the pursuit of a fulfilling career, Angela Duckworth’s wisdom on early exploration and cultivating passion resonates deeply. She reminds us that the path to finding our true calling requires more than just picking a job; it demands an open mind, an adventurous spirit, and a willingness to embrace unexpected opportunities. By exploring different career paths, understanding that passion can be developed, and aligning with our core values, we set the stage for a transformative journey.

What are your interests?

interests are not discovered through introspection. Instead, interests are triggered by interactions with the outside world. The process of interest discovery can be messy, serendipitous, and inefficient. This is because you can’t really predict with certainty what will capture your attention and what won’t. You can’t simply will yourself to like things, either. As Jeff Bezos has observed, “One of the huge mistakes people make is that they try to force an interest on themselves.” Without experimenting, you can’t figure out which interests will stick, and which won’t. (Grit: The Power of Passion and Perserverance)

Duckworth’s emphasis on exploration serves as a powerful reminder that our passions are not predetermined or fixed. Rather, they emerge through a process of discovery and intentional exploration. We are invited to step outside our comfort zones and immerse ourselves in a world of possibilities, allowing curiosity to guide our journey. By venturing into unfamiliar territories, we open ourselves up to the serendipitous encounters and unexpected passions that can shape our career trajectory in extraordinary ways.

Trying out various interests and being open to new experiences aligns perfectly with the essence of generative AI. This cutting-edge technology leverages the power of machine learning to generate new ideas, concepts, and possibilities. It can assist individuals in exploring diverse career paths, unveiling uncharted territories, and uncovering hidden talents that may have remained dormant otherwise.

While preparing for the launch of the programs portal, I completed a scholarship application. As part of the process, my application was screened by Azure Open AI and I was provided feedback and job recommendations. I was surprised by some of the options that were suggested to me. In fact, I’m consistently surprised by the depth and breadth of questions that ChatGPT will respond to.

I decided to deeply explore a the “systems analyst” job suggestions to get ideas of what the job entails and how I could potentially prepare for the interview. I learned that I could prepare through online courses at Coursera and edX, that Accenture may be a company willing to hire a business major, and that I should explore a student membership with the Association for Information Systems. Along the way, I also got information that would help me prepare for informational interviews like “can I be system analyst if I don’t know how to program?”.

It strikes me that if I’m curious a short conversation can provide a lot of information that can make it easier to interact with the outside world. At least it gives me a start. I’m sharing to provide some inspiration of how others can use Generative AI to get more out of the feedback provided by the scholarship process. You can see the full conversation; below I’m sharing the questions I asked and my motivation.

  • What does the career trajectory for system analyst look like over ten years?

    I like understanding the end game. Starting with the end mind helps me envision if this is a path I want to invest in.

  • Do people normally stay in technology roles or are there opportunities to transition to other functions?

    Even now, I’m an technology apologist - I’m much more interested in the business problems that technology can solve. I ask question to try to get a deeper understanding of opportunity outside of IT.

  • What other roles do system analysts work with? What other functions?

    I didn’t like the first answer, four of the six options revolved around technology so I thought I would reframe to ask again.

  • What does a day to day of a System Analyst looks like?

    Regardless of the end state, I think it’s important to like your job.

  • What are the top companies that hire system analysts?

    This is an amazing question. Getting this list really helps make discovery actionable.

  • What are ways that I can network with the above companies to get a job interview for a system analyst position?

    I use this question to brainstorm on actions that I can take.

  • What professional associations and meetups for system analysts are available for college students to join?

    One of the most surprising things for me when working Artificial Generative Intelligence is the depth that you can get ask answers. If you want more details, ask.

  • Looking at the list of 20 companies above and these five associations can you create table that indicates the company name and the association that they are a member of?

    I’m using the question to help prioritize my time.

  • How can college students get involved with the Association for Information Systems?

    I’m using this question brainstorm appropriate actions.

  • I don’t have experience in an IT environment. How can I get that experience as a college student or through AIS?

    I’m using this question to brainstorm on ways I could meet job requirements when I graduate.

  • What are online courses and certifications that are available for system analyst roles that I should look at?

    I’m looking at another way of meeting job requirements.

  • Are any of the above free or discounted for college students? Are there YouTube videos that you can recommend? Basically I’m looking for resources that can get me started.

    I’m looking for actions I can do now.

  • Looking at the list of 20 companies above, what colleges do they recruit from? What colleges also participate in the Association of Information Systems?

    I think the insight you can get from this question is really interesting. Accenture stood out from the list because they are willing ot interview talent from non-traditional degrees.

  • What schools do the below hire from?

    In a long conversation, Artificial Generative Intelligence will get lost. Providing details can get the conversation back on track.

  • What are the job requirements for a systems analyst at Accenture?

    Getting very specific can lead to interesting insight. This is the first time Technical Skills came up.

  • Are there specific Coursera or edX courses that you can consider to learn about the software development life cycle?

    Likewise, being very specific can lead to actionable advice. This helps prioritize time.

While this exploration is useful, validation of interests only happens in the real world. Generative AI is a compliment to traditional ways of preparing for a career - it helps surface blind spots and prioritize efforts. It’s important to actively engage with the outside world, take risks, and pursue opportunities that resonate with you. By combining curiosity, exploration, and the insights gained from generative AI, you can embark on a transformative journey towards a fulfilling and meaningful career.