“Safe is good for sidewalks and swimming pools, but life requires risk if we are to get anywhere." Simon Sinek (author of Start with Why)
Have you played it safe in college or taken some risks with your educational or career choices? “Safe” educational and career choices are often socially rewarded and come with that oh-so-wonderful feeling of security, but taking risks with your educational and career decisions can lead to big payoffs when it comes to your future career.
WHAT DOES RISK LOOK LIKE IN EDUCATIONAL AND CAREER DECISIONS?
Academic Risk. Taking a course or adding a major/minor that is interesting but challenging for you. Taking a course in a discipline you are unfamiliar or that challenges your worldview. Pursuing an academic opportunity outside of the classroom like research or service learning.
Social Risk. Attending an event on campus that you’re interested in but don’t know anyone. Joining a student organization that you’re interested in but that intimidates you. Speaking up in class even though you’re nervous.
Career Risk. Choosing a major that matches your career interests but that important others in your life disagree with. Attending the career fair even though it intimidates you. Reaching out to a new connection or going to a networking event even though you’re nervous.
Financial Risk. Quitting your part-time job to take an internship that pays less. Choosing a major or career path with a lower starting salary but that better aligns with your career interests. Changing to a better fitting major but that adds time to your degree.
All of the Above. Studying abroad.
HOW DO I START TAKING MORE RISKS?
Redefine Risk. Risk can be equated with danger, but when it comes to your education and career, risk is better equated with opportunity. The consequences of pursuing an educational or career opportunity and failing are much less consequential than other types of risk (let’s say cliff jumping), but the rewards can be lifechanging.
Understand Opportunity Cost. Opportunity cost is the cost of not doing something. Calculating opportunity cost is financial terms is easy. But, when it comes to educational and career decisions, our emotions and values can be much harder to calculate. What is the cost of not taking the risks listed above? One way to understand opportunity cost is regret, which is the emotional of cost of choosing not to take a risk.
Crowdsource Ideas. Ask your friends and family (and professional connections as you start to make them) about a risk they took in college or early in their career, and how it turned out. Or, (better yet) ask about a risk they wished they would have taken in their education or career and why.
Assess Actual Risk. Think about an educational or career risk you are thinking about taking. Write out all of the possible outcomes you can think of for how the experience will go (from the best possible scenario to “I absolutely hate it, and I end up regretting it forever”). Then, estimate the odds of each one happening. What you will likely find is that perceived risk is often much greater than actual risk.
Focus on Learning. One issue with ‘safe’ choices is that they don’t push us out of our comfort zone. And, without going out of our comfort zone, we don’t learn much about who we are. That makes it difficult to define what we want out of life or our career. Even if the risk you take turns out to be a big flop, chances are you’ll learn something about yourself that will help you get you closer to creating the life you want.
FINAL THOUGHT
Think about your remaining time in college, and ask yourself: What risks will I regret NOT taking?
Celeste Spier, PhD
Associate Director, Career & Professional Development