How I Found My Perfect Career (advice for indecisive people and career changers)

Summary

In this video, the creator reflects on her unconventional career journey, from pre-med student to YouTuber and founder of a B2B media agency and a self-learning platform. She emphasizes the importance of embracing change, avoiding the sunk cost fallacy, and building identity capital. The video also promotes a 21-day free access to 365 Data Science's platform, highlighting the value of continuous learning and self-improvement.

Takeaways

• 😀 The speaker expresses gratitude for her current career, which combines running a self-learning platform and a B2B media agency.
• 🌟 The career she has now would not have been possible 10 years ago, highlighting the evolving nature of job opportunities.
• 📚 Steve Jobs' quote about life's journey is mentioned to emphasize how past experiences connect to form a meaningful path.
• 🎓 The speaker initially pursued a career in medicine, influenced by societal expectations and her academic background in life sciences.
• 🔄 She experienced an existential crisis when realizing her true interests did not align with her pre-med path, leading to a shift in career direction.
• 💡 Taking computer science courses opened up new opportunities, demonstrating the value of exploring different fields.
• 🤔 The speaker regrets not experimenting more during her college years and being overly concerned about her GPA.
• 🛠️ The importance of building 'identity capital' is stressed, which refers to developing skills and resources that are valuable in the job market.
• 🚀 The speaker's bias towards action helped her make bold career moves, such as switching to computer science and pursuing internships at major companies.
• 📈 She learned the hard way about the sunk cost fallacy, cautioning against continuing down a path solely because of the time and effort already invested.
• 💼 Her career journey includes working at Meta and eventually quitting to pursue her current path, emphasizing the importance of following one's passion.
• 📚 The speaker recommends building identity capital, experimenting, and avoiding the sunk cost fallacy as advice for those considering a career change.

Q & A

What is the main theme of the video?

The main theme of the video is the speaker's career journey and the lessons learned along the way, including the importance of self-learning and building identity capital.

What career combination does the speaker currently have?

The speaker currently has a combination of running a self-learning platform called Lonely Octopus and a B2B media agency.

What is the significance of the Steve Jobs quote mentioned in the video?

The Steve Jobs quote signifies the idea that in retrospect, all the experiences and decisions in one's life make sense and contribute to the person's current situation.

What is the name of the speaker's newsletter?

The speaker's newsletter is called 'Boops Keyboard'.

Why did the speaker initially choose to study life sciences and pursue a career as a doctor?

The speaker chose to study life sciences and pursue a career as a doctor because of societal expectations and the belief that being a doctor, lawyer, or engineer were the typical successful careers for Asians.

What major did the speaker switch to within the life sciences field?

The speaker switched to pharmacology within the life sciences field.

What realization did the speaker have during their undergraduate studies that led to a change in their career path?

The speaker realized that they did not want to become a doctor and were not satisfied with their pre-med path, leading to an existential crisis and a shift in their career direction.

What is the term for the skills and resources that make someone valuable in the job market, as mentioned in the script?

The term is 'identity capital'.

Why did the speaker decide to pursue a master's degree in computer science at the University of Pennsylvania?

The speaker decided to pursue a master's degree in computer science because they realized the value of coding skills in the job market and had a bias towards action.

What is the name of the online learning platform mentioned in the video, and what is its current offer?

The online learning platform mentioned is '365 Data Science', and it is offering its entire platform for free for a limited time.

What advice does the speaker give regarding career choices and the sunk cost fallacy?

The speaker advises against being afraid to experiment with different career paths and warns against the sunk cost fallacy, emphasizing the importance of making decisions based on future potential rather than past investments.

What is the name of the self-learning platform the speaker is involved in, and what is its purpose?

The speaker is involved in 'Lonely Octopus', a self-learning platform currently in beta, aimed at providing educational content.

What is the importance of the ability to self-learn in the speaker's career journey?

The ability to self-learn was crucial in the speaker's career journey, as it allowed them to quickly acquire new skills, such as SQL, which were necessary for job opportunities.