Career Hacking 101: Design Thinking Your Way to Success
Ambition Labs is a residential, professional accelerator for young adults, ages 18-28. Oh, the joy of career planning! It's a bit like trying to find your car in a Walmart parking lot at Christmas. You're wandering around, key fob in hand, hoping for that little beep of salvation. But at Ambition Labs, we're here to turn that aimless wandering into a purposeful stroll, using the magic wand of design thinking.
Let's start with empathy. Not the kind where you feel sorry for yourself after your 15th rejection email, but the kind where you put yourself in the shoes of your future boss. Or better yet, in the shoes of your future self, who might be wondering why on earth you thought a degree in Underwater Basket Weaving was the ticket to success. We teach you to understand not just what you want, but what the world needs from you.
Next, define your career problem. It's not just about "I need a job," because, let's face it, we all need jobs unless we've won the lottery or have rich uncles we've never heard of. It's about what kind of job will make you jump out of bed in the morning rather than crawl out with the enthusiasm of a sloth on a Monday.
Now, ideate. This isn't your run-of-the-mill daydream where you're the next Elon Musk but without the rockets. It's about brainstorming, but with a twist. What if your career was a project you could redesign over and over? We encourage wild ideas here, like combining your love for video games with, say, environmental science. Why not create games that teach sustainability?
Then we move to prototype. No, you're not building a model of your future office out of cardboard (though that would be fun). You're trying out different career paths, maybe volunteering, interning, or taking on side projects. It's like dating but for your career. You might find out you're not a match with corporate America but perhaps you're a soulmate to freelance photography.
Finally, test. This is where you take your prototypes out into the real world. Did that side hustle make you feel alive or did it make you want to go back to bed? Here's where the rubber meets the road, or in this case, where your resume meets the recruiter's inbox.
At Ambition Labs, we're not just about helping you find a job; we're about designing a career that fits you like your favorite jeans. For parents, this isn't about watching your kid flounder; it's about giving them the tools to innovate their way through life's career maze.
“At Ambition Labs, we’re not just about helping you find a job; we’re about designing a career that fits you like your favorite jeans. ”
So, whether you're a young adult staring down the barrel of your first real job or a parent with a child who's still figuring out what they want to be when they grow up (aren't we all?), join us at Ambition Labs. Let's turn that parking lot into a journey where every beep leads to something exciting.
Ready to innovate your career path? Dive into design thinking with Ambition Labs. Visit www.ambition-labs.org to start your journey from career chaos to career clarity.
