Career tracks exercise

Read the full description of the Career Tracks exercise in Chapter Three of the Idealist Guides to Nonprofit Careers for First-Time Job Seekers and for Sector Switchers.

The Career Tracks exercise, developed by the Office of Career Services at NYU Robert. F. Wagner Graduate School of Public Service, gives you a way to explore job openings that inspire you — either because of a position's duties, or because of the hiring organization.

The idea behind the exercise is to collect 50 or more job descriptions that appeal to you, either because of the employer or the job itself.

Do not limit the job descriptions you collect because of: job location, salary, or whether you are qualified to do the work. This is merely an exercise to explore what resonates with you – so cast a wide net.

After collecting no fewer than 50 job descriptions, analyze them to find commonalities — what kinds of work and organizations are you drawn to?

Once you've looked through your collection, construct up to five career tracks for yourself. A track can be an issue, a kind of organization, a role, a client population.

This exercise also emphasizes skills and networks you may need to enhance. You can find the full description of the exercise in Chapter Three the Idealist Guides to Nonprofit Careers for First-Time Job Seekers and for Sector Switchers.

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