This Working Life Are we giving kids the wrong career advice?
Dec 19, 2025
JP Michel, an organizational psychologist and author, teams up with Kate McBeath, a career practitioner in Australia and New Zealand, to dive into the flaws of traditional career advice. They argue that asking students what they want to be can create anxiety and limit possibilities. Instead, they promote a 'challenge mindset' where students focus on solving problems rather than fitting into job titles. JP also introduces challenge cards as a tool for meaningful exploration, encouraging early exploration and adapting to a rapidly changing job market.
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Magazine Pick Led To Materials Science
- JP had a student, Anna, who loved an article about algae cleaning oil spills and wanted to explore it.
- Working backwards from that interest led them to materials science and engineering she hadn't known about.
From Matchmaker To Career Catalyst
- Career advisors should shift from matchmakers to catalysts who spark exploration.
- JP says educators are now moving from matching tests to helping students find problems to solve.
Ask About Problems, Not Titles
- Flip the model: ask students to find problems to solve instead of job titles to fit.
- Use challenges to help students make post-secondary choices and build lifelong navigation skills.
