Developing a Vision & Cultivating a Career Path: An Event Co-Sponsored by the ACRL/NY New Librarians Discussion Group and the Mentoring Program
By Eliana Fenyes
As a young professional, I often think about my career. Am I on the right path? How do I get where I want to go? When I arrived at the event “Developing a Vision & Cultivating a Career Path,” I was ready for more self-reflection. During the workshop, we had time to journal in response to questions that prompted us to investigate our ambitions, passions, and priorities. These exercises gave me a chance to put into words all of the feelings I’ve been having about my career. But when we shared our thoughts with the group, I was excited to hear that other people had been considering the same issues as I. It was reassuring to hear other professionals, in various stages in their careers, speak about collaborating with colleagues, balancing interests with work, and finding time during the day to reflect: all things that I have been thinking about, too.
The evening was filled with a sense of encouragement: I felt that we were all motivated to help ourselves, and each other, succeed. After considering ourselves as professionals and examining our current work situations, we were pushed to imagine the future. During one of my favorite parts of the evening, we were asked to close our eyes and visualize our future selves. I was surprised and pleased when an image came to me immediately. After an evening of directed contemplation, my mind was ready answer a question I’ve been struggling with for months: where do I want to be? At the end of the night, we brainstormed actionable steps for our career paths. Many of us found that by attending the workshop, we had already taken a great next step: connecting with peers and mentors. After meeting so many new people, I left the event feeling that building my career path will not have to be a solitary activity.