Career Paths
Stephen Baker, former BusinessWeek editor and author of the book The Numerati
The company has some 70 million members. That’s data on 70 million careers. Conceivably, the company could provide a service showing each one of us the paths that others took when they were in the same position we’re in now. It could diagram where those choices led. … “Maybe he ends up deciding to be a high school math teacher,…” Nishar [Vice President of Products and Services at LinkedIn] says. In that case, he could find current math teachers who have followed that path and debrief them.
The information in and of itself is not that valuable probably, but when combined with the ability to connect with folks that have followed a path that seems interesting sounds exciting. Of course, you’d need those people to respond to your request for advice, though, in my experience, that’s actually easier than most folks think it is.
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Wow, I swear I had the same idea a while back. I love it. In many cases, people don’t follow “linear” paths (I know I haven’t), and being able to map that out would be fascinating. Additionally, it would be very helpful for folks looking into particular careers to see the multiple pathways as well as people looking to make a switch (how in the world do I go from one industry/specialty to another?).
I am so excited about this development and wouldn’t have known about it if you hadn’t posted, so thank you! Think of the possibilities with personal career development, career coaching, research! Making this development visual would also take it to another level and create a way for people to really see their options and realise that your past doesn’t necessarily dictate your future.