Embracing Career Uncertainty - Discovering Unexpected Paths | Career Chat with Mario Hunt

Embracing uncertainty in your career journey provides room for unexpected growth and opportunities. This episode discusses the importance of flexibility in career goals and personal experiences of navigating unexpected changes, encouraging listeners to appreciate the journey. 

• Importance of knowing you don't need all the answers now 
• Embracing unexpected twists as growth opportunities 
• Avoiding tunnel vision in career planning and goal setting 
• Value of internships for exploring personal interests 
• Discussion on societal pressures impacting career choices 
• Personal experiences shaping career paths and adaptability

Chapters

• 0:09 Navigating Career Journeys
• 6:52 Exploring Career Paths

Transcript

Speaker 1: 0:09

Hey, welcome back to the transparent nature podcast. This is the segment of career chats bite-sized inspiration. Today we have Mario with us. Mario, welcome to the podcast, thank you, yeah. Hey, we're going to talk about this career quote that we have today. It says you don't need to know all the answers now. Your career journey will reveal them. When I think about this quote, I think about my career journey as it relates to you know me just not knowing all the answers, right? I think what makes it exciting is the fact that I don't know my next move or my next step. I may have goals in place, but I think the journey of going through my career and allowing it to reveal itself is what makes it really exciting. So what do you think about this quote? I?

Speaker 2: 1:03

like I like it. Um again, I think that's pretty much the same with me and probably everyone. There are very few people who actually have an ideal or plan of what they're going to do and it goes exactly the way that they want it to go.

Speaker 2: 1:17

You can plan it. You can do everything that you think you're supposed to do, but there's always a curve ball thrown and, um, you have to move with the curveball. My career did not go as I would have liked it to go. However, I'm super grateful for the curveball. Yeah, it made me go into some areas and directions that I would not have normally have taken. I probably would have sat still in one position at one institute forever, and the way that the job market and the way that you grow is not by staying in one area. Now I've seen the growth just from going from one institute or one place, one position, to a different position. It has grown me as an individual as well as a professional. So, yeah, I believe holistically and agree with that quote you can plan it, you can have an idea of where you think you want to go, but there's always going to be a curve ball. Just move with it.

Speaker 1: 2:16

Yeah, and you know, a lot of people think I need to know the answers. I need to know the answers, I need to know, you know, plan A all the way to plan Z and that's just not realistic. But I think you know it's all about the journey and if you, if you take that approach, like you know the journey, the journey, I think you'll enjoy where you are, even if, where you are, you may want to be, you know, in a high level role. But just take the journey and and set those goals, uh, but really look at it and embrace where you are in the moment.

Speaker 2: 2:50

Yeah, I, um, that's exactly where I am right now. Um, the younger me was all about. I want to do this by this. By the time I reach this age, I want to be here. Um, now me with a few years, a couple of decades in the game. It's kind of more so like I know where I am now. If I'm happy where I am now, I do have an idea of where I think I'd like to go, but going with the flow is probably the best thing that you could do. Now you have an idea. Have a plan, have me. I always got a plan B and C.

Speaker 2: 3:22

So, have a couple of plans or a few plans, but at the same time, don't be so hard on yourself and don't push so hard going into a specific direction until you kind of, I guess, lock yourself against or block out a lot of other opportunities that may be better for you. That's a good point.

Speaker 1: 3:42

Yeah, that may be better for you. That's a good point. When you just are rigid in your goals and you're just trying to stay focused on your goals, sometimes you don't realize other opportunities that may be out there that you haven't even thought of or even thought that you would enjoy doing or working in, and so no, like you said, I think it's important to also be flexible with your goal settings as well.

Speaker 2: 4:04

Don't get locked on. Tunnel vision is basically it. Don't get locked on tunnel vision. Don't be so focused on your goal until you block out everything else that may be coming your way, because there may be greater opportunities. There may be opportunities of experience that you may not have, opportunities that may help you financially, opportunities that may broaden your horizons, to make you think, hmm, I don't think I want to go that route anymore.

Speaker 2: 4:28

I think I want to go this route, so don't yeah, don't get locked on tunnel vision, to the fact that you block out other opportunities that may actually get you to where you want to go or change your perspective and you realize that that's actually not what I want to do.

Speaker 1: 4:43

This is what I want to do. Yeah, today's episode is brought to you by Halo Vision Media, a visual media agency based in Memphis, tennessee. Halo Vision Media specializes in high quality content designed to elevate your brand and help you stand out in a competitive market. Whether you need a podcast or talk show recordings, enhanced online courses or even a polished commercial, halo Vision Media has you covered For professional, reliable media services. Check them out today at wwwhalovisionmediacom or check the link within the description below.

Speaker 1: 5:23

Yeah, and you know, I think about like how young folks getting into college Young folks, yeah, young folks and you know a lot of parents put things on their child like you know, you need to be a doctor, you need to be a lawyer, maybe that's what they did, right. And then they realize that they're going to school. They realize, like this is not what I want to do, a lawyer, maybe that's what they did Right. Um, and then they realize that they're going to school. They realize, like this is not what I want to do, right, experiences, and a lot of times they get that degree, that bachelor's degree, just for their parents.

Speaker 1: 5:54

Yeah, but uh, they realize like this is not what I want to do. So I really encourage people like, if you really don't know what you want to do, or you do know what you want to do really, you know, get those internship experiences and that's going to really help you to navigate, like, hmm, do I really want to do this or not? But I also hear a lot of people and know a lot of people who may start in one career field and they end up in a totally different career field. I hear it it's all the time, right, and so you know when I think about this quote. You don't have to know all the answers.

Speaker 2: 6:34

You don't. And when I met you you talked about you had an idea of where you wanted to go. You wanted to be in HR. Yeah, I did as I told you on one of our previous I think the very first episode that I sat with you. That was not my plan. I didn't even know what HR was.

Speaker 1: 6:51

I had no idea.

Speaker 2: 6:52

I went to school. Well, initially I was in music young, I was in theater, I was an athlete, I did all of those things in school and then, once it was time to kind of get out in the workforce, it was like I still kind of wanted to work in music and was still working in music. But I, you know, I had in my mind from what everyone was saying you need to go to school, you need to get a degree, you need to get an education. And so I initially went to school. I wanted to go to school for accounting and I started in accounting and ended up venturing over and switching my major to a business degree.

Speaker 2: 7:24

Once I received the opportunity to go work in HR at Northwest, and so it was not planned. I had no idea anything, I knew nothing about HR and I ended up in that field and to still be in that field. It's great to have experienced all the things that I experienced, but again, like you said, have experienced all the things that I experienced, but again, like you said, majority, most people don't have an idea of exactly what they want to do. But you did and you, you, you have actually grown into hr yeah, and you know, this is just the beginning, right?

Speaker 1: 7:55

I still have a whole lot of years ahead of me, um, but who knows young people? Yeah, because you're one of those who knows, like, I may not stay in HR forever, but you know I'm keeping my eyes open, you know Well, y'all. That's it for Career Chat for today. Continue to tune in with us and we'll see you on the other side. You.