Happy New Year! Now, Get to Work to Map Out Your Career with eParachute

I've spent a lot of time over the last few months responding to posts in Reddit's "Career Guidance" forum. In general, these posts focus on three topics:

• I studied subject "A" in school, and I don't know what job to look for
• I'm in a job I don't like and don't know what to do next
• I'm thinking of going back to school to help me find a new career

People can get stuck in these phases, hence the plea for guidance by posting on Reddit. But in so doing they're looking for a quick fix on a fundamental, even existential challenge: what shall I do with my life?

It's a difficult question to answer, and your response changes over time. So what can you do?

You need to sit down and do the work to discover your career strengths, explore your career options, and chart a path through the world of work. Where? eParachute, a self-inventory method inspired by What Color is Your Parachute?, one of the best selling career books ever. 

I've worked through the process outlined on eParachute's site. The effort proved indispensable for helping me find my current position, decide to return to school to earn a doctorate, and put together a long-term career plan. Read more about my effort here. 

I'm so enthusiastic about the eParachute process that I've become an affiliate. That means that when you sign up for the program, I receive a referral fee. 

I've worked in career services for two MBA programs, which exposed me to a variety of processes for clarifying professional interests and translating them into job search strategies. I consider eParachute to be among the most effective. So, if you're beginning the new year with the challenge of "what to do next," I urge you to give eParachute a try. You won't regret it.