Career Roadmap
Lauren's work combines: Design, Education, and Problem Solving
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Day In The Life
Skills &
Education
Here's the path I took:
High School
Hinsdale Central High School
Bachelor's Degree
Marketing/Marketing Management, General
Indiana University-Bloomington
Here's the path I recommend for someone who wants to be a Market Research Analysts & Marketing Specialists:
High School
Bachelor's Degree: Industrial and Product Design
Learn more about different paths to this career
Life & Career Milestones
My path in life took a while to figure out
1.
Did what was expected of me and studied business in college.
2.
Interned at an innovation company and fell in love with it's mission and process to "empower next."
3.
Realized I was good at solving problems, applying frameworks and designing solutions.
4.
Asked to work on a project under Doug, a senior leader in the company who shares my strengths.
5.
Learned everything I could from Doug during my internship and worked as hard as I could.
6.
Kept following up with Doug after college, even when there wasn't a job available for me.
7.
Was eventually hired by Doug when he custom designed a job around my passions and strengths.
8.
Have worked under Doug's mentorship for the past 5 years. I have learned more from him than school!
Defining Moments
How I responded to discouragement
THE NOISE
Messages from Parents:
You should study finance and accounting because it's a reputable job that will earn you a lot of money.
How I responded:
I would have made a horrible accountant because it's not a creative job, and I am bad at math. ALWAYS start by thoroughly understanding your talents, interests and strengths. Don't know much about your strengths/interests? Take the Gallup strengthsfinder assessment or check out YouScience to explore how your strengths and interests map to careers! Have lots of new experiences and join Meetups in your area! As long as you do what you love AND what you're good at, the money always follows.
Experiences and challenges that shaped me
I have ADHD and thought for a long time that I was lazy or unmotivated, since I struggled to stay organized, be on time and get my work done. Don't be ashamed by your disability. Know your STRENGTHS and LEVERAGE THEM. Design AROUND your weaknesses.
I had alcohol issues in high school because I wasn't self-aware enough to feel confident at parties while sober. By studying psychology, mindfulness and learning my strengths and passions, I realized it's more attractive to be secure than drunk.