Stop Applying Backwards: Suzy Welch’s Career Advice For Grads

Landing a job can feel like an urgent race, but NYU Stern professor Suzy Welch has a different take: slow down and figure out who you are first.

“Do not try to get a job until you know who you are,” Welch insists. “You think the hardest thing is finding a job, but really, it’s finding yourself. After that, getting hired is easier.”

Her advice is simply don’t just chase any job, but chase one that actually fits you.

Since 2021, Welch has been teaching Becoming You, a course designed to help students uncover their values, strengths, and true career paths. Her book, also named Becoming You, expands on these lessons, and it’s making waves for shaking up traditional career advice.

‘RETHINK THE RUSH’

Welch sees too many grads defaulting to finance, tech, or consulting because they seem like safe bets. Harvard’s undergraduate class of 2024 survey backs this up: 21% are heading into finance, 16% into tech, and 13% into consulting – and she urges students to rethink the rush.

“You’re going to go to the job market and try to retrofit your personhood to the world, whereas in fact, you need to know who you are and then find the places that are actually meant for you.”

TAKE THE TIME TO DISCOVER WHAT YOU LIKE

The wrong job for you can really wear you down – that’s taking a job that you think is prestigious or “good enough” but doesn’t align with who you really are. Welch says it’s likely you’ll burn out by 40. “That’s the dirty little secret no one tells you,” she says.

Welch adds it’s not just about avoiding burnout, but also about building a life that should excite you.

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