You’ve seen the advice: “Do what you love and the rest will follow.” But what if “doing what you love” just looks like eating pizza, napping in your undies, and taking selfies with your dog…while low-key panicking about your future? If you’re feeling stuck, unsure, or like you’re waiting for a lightning bolt of career clarity to strike, you’re not alone. The truth is, most people don’t have it all figured out (even if it looks that way on LinkedIn).

At UTS, we believe your career isn’t something you find, it’s something you design. That means starting where you are, getting curious, and trying small steps to figure out what fits. This is where Career and Life Design comes in (inspired by Stanford University’s ‘Designing Your Life’ program).

But what if doing what you love is slowly transforming into pizza…😔

Are you making choices that are yours?

In a world full of expectations and ever-changing opportunities, it’s easy to feel unsure about whether you’re making the “right” career moves – or whose version of right you’re even following. Many students still find themselves influenced by family, cultural expectations, or societal pressure to follow safe or prestigious paths. But if you’ve ever wondered, “Is this what I really want?”, you’re not alone.

One of the most powerful things you can do is pause and ask yourself:

• what am I genuinely curious about?
• what’s something I’ve always wanted to try but haven’t explored yet?
• who am I doing this degree for?

At the same time, students are increasingly defining success in their own terms, choosing careers that reflect their personal values, mental health needs, and desire to make a real impact. You might care deeply about climate action, community building, or simply finding balance between work and life. None of those values show up on your resume, but they matter deeply to how you’ll feel in your future career.

Let’s be honest: sometimes the hardest part isn’t choosing between two paths, it’s feeling overwhelmed by too many options or not seeing one that fits. It’s normal to feel stuck in this uncertainty. Instead of chasing a “perfect” career plan, you can try prototyping. Prototyping is doing small, low-risk experiments to test your ideas, which might look like:

• volunteering or interning in a space you’re curious about
• chatting with someone in a career you hadn’t considered
• taking a class outside your major that stretches your thinking.

Designing your future isn’t about having one fixed plan. It’s about staying open, learning through action, and being honest with yourself about what really matters, both now and as you grow.

Let life surprise you!

What is ‘Career and Life Design’?

Career and Life Design is a creative, human-centred approach to making life choices inspired by Stanford University’s Life Design Lab. At UTS, we’ve reimagined it to meet the needs of students navigating the complexities of life and work in 2025. Instead of asking, “What job do I want for the rest of my life?”, we ask:

• what kind of life do I want to lead?
• what might be a few possible versions of that life?
• what small steps can I take to explore those directions?

Through tools like ideation, prototyping, and reframing, Career and Life Design helps you:

• explore multiple possible futures without pressure to choose just one
• break out of limiting beliefs like “I need to have it all figured out now”
• make decisions that reflect who you are, not just what’s expected of you.

Students who’ve taken part in our workshops often describe the process as eye-opening and freeing.

“The workshop helped me see that I don’t have to have one fixed career plan—I can build a life that reflects my changing interests and values.”
– UTS student

Want to get unstuck? Join us in our upcoming workshop.

If you’re ready to take a fresh look at your future, join us for our upcoming Career and Life Design Workshop. We’ll walk you through the design thinking process, help you explore what matters to you, and give you tools to move forward, even if you’re still figuring it out. Let’s design your next chapter—together.

📍 Apply for our next Career and Life Design workshop by 11:59pm Wednesday 4 June 2025. Limited spots – link here.

Featured image courtesy of Unsplash