I've been recently giving career advice to the 2023 graduates of CMU's MHCI. Here are 10 points that come to mind from my experience: (1/11)

1. You’re probably not going to land your dream job. Find your reality job.

2. You only read about the glamorous stories, but there are the other 99% of organizations where you can do important, meaningful work.

3. You can work in a job that doesn’t check all your marks and still build your career. It might be in an unhip city or in an industry you find boring. You can find a new job, too. Heck, you can even switch career tracks or go back to school.

4. There are many paths to success. It doesn’t have to go through FAANG. Some of the strongest people I know are self-taught and don't have Ex- in their profiles.

5. Times are always changing. The job market may be tight now. Things have been better and worse. I got laid off months after starting my 1st job when the bubble burst. I took unemployment checks, then worked part-time and as a contractor for years until landing a full-time gig.

6. Job searching is hard work and stressful. Don’t obsess over it and take care of yourself.

7. Hiring is a messy, defective, and inequitable process. If you've gotten dissed or ghosted, it’s not you, it’s them.

8. So much of this is about opportunity and timing. You might be a perfect fit for a role, but they may not have the budget to hire right now (to give one reason of many why you weren't extended an offer).

9. Lean heavily into your personal and professional network. This isn’t about schmoozing—it’s being an engaged member of the community. Most people love to flex their expertise and help others.

10. Be kind and stay curious. We are all learning along the way, and people you meet today may have an impact years or decades later.

great tips! i would suggest people always have a hobby outside of their profession. if u work purely digital, try having a tactile hobby. a type of physical exercise or making something by hand