What happens when you stop chasing job titles and start paying attention to what naturally energizes you? Looking back, I realized the hobbies and interests I once thought were random were actually pointing me toward the work I love today. If you're trying to figure out what's next in your career, your past might hold more clues than you think.
Sometimes the Clues Are There Before You See Them
I've always been a creative and technical thicker.
If you had asked me in high school what I wanted to be, I probably would have said an architectural engineer.
I loved math, designing in AutoCAD, and creating spaces that were both practical and purposeful—spaces built around how people would actually use them.
Funny enough, I was applying the same thinking somewhere completely different.
Before MySpace and Facebook, there was BlackPlanet.
Instead of spending hours on BlackPlanet meeting people, I was redesigning my profile for the hundredth time.
How could I make it look better?
How could I organize the page differently?
What did the text, colors and graphics say about me and the audience it attracted?
What would make someone actually sign my guestbook?
Looking back, I was unknowingly teaching myself user experience, digital design, content strategy, and audience engagement before those words became part of my vocabulary—or my career.
Sometimes your future leaves clues long before you recognize them.
At the time though? I just thought I was having fun.
I Didn’t Leave Engineering Behind—I Just Switched Lanes
College gave me something even more valuable than a degree. It gave me permission to explore.
In diversifying my coursework and campus involvement, I started noticing a pattern. I wasn't just interested in technology. I was interested in the people using it.
I’ve always leaned more toward STEAM than just STEM. The “A” —Arts —matters. Creativity, empathy, communication—that’s where things really come to life.
I found myself constantly asking questions like:
Why do some messages stick while others get ignored?
How can technology make connecting easier instead of more complicated?
What makes someone stop, pay attention, and engage?
Those questions eventually pulled me into communications and digital media.
And that’s when it clicked—I never stopped thinking like an engineer.
I just went from designing physical spaces to designing experiences that help people connect, understand, and navigate change.
The Work Became More Meaningful
Fast forward to today—whether I’m building an intranet, creating a communication campaign, launching an AI tool, or helping employees through change—I’m still doing the same thing at the core.
I’m designing with people in mind.
That’s what makes it meaningful.
Now don’t get me wrong—there are still deadlines, last-minute changes, limited resources and technology isn't playing fair.
But I genuinely enjoy the process—creating, solving problems, and making things easier for people to understand.
And when a project launches and the engagement data starts rolling in—seeing employees actually use the resource, adopt the technology, or respond to the message—that's incredibly rewarding.
Those metrics aren't just numbers.
It’s proof that something I created actually helped someone. And that part never gets old.
Three Questions to Help You Find Your Own Path
If you’re trying to figure out what meaningful work looks like for you, start here:
What naturally holds your attention?
What do you find yourself doing without being told—or paid?
That’s usually not random. That’s curiosity trying to tell you something.
What problems do you enjoy solving?
Some people love fixing technical issues. Others love helping people communicate, organize, or create.
Pay attention to what energizes you—not just what you’re good at.
What impact do you want your work to have?
Meaningful work isn’t just about using your skills.
It’s about using them in service of something your care about.
When your skills, values, and purpose line up, work starts to feel different—in a good way.
Your Passion May Already Be Following You
One of the best pieces of advice I can give is this:
Don’t just focus on where you’re trying to go. Pay attention to what’s been pulling you all along.
Your hobbies, favorite school projects, random interests—even the things you did just because they were fun—might be the breadcrumbs leading you toward work that feels meaningful.
Because meaningful work happens when your natural talents, professional skills, and personal values all point in the same direction.
That's when work becomes more than a paycheck. It becomes purpose.