Community Spotlight: Finding and Developing a Passion
March 15th, 2021
Community Spotlight: A series highlighting Aspire to Her community members and their experiences early in their careers.
Who we’re featuring this week: Maureen Driscoll
Position: Field Insights Analyst at The NPD Group
After working in healthcare tech for two years, you changed industries and took a role in market research. How did you determine this was a field you were interested in and how did it develop into a passion?
I first learned about consumer psychology in a college Intro to Marketing class. A prerequisite for a resume-building minor, the class met twice weekly in the evening, long past the expiration of my daily attention span. I tuned in during one lecture to hear the professor explaining the exhaustive intentionality with which grocery store inventory and layouts are arranged. The discussion around shelf real estate and impulse buy incentives piqued my interests, but without knowing how to translate my newfound knowledge into a career, it served me best as an engaging conversation starter.
Fortunately, I secured my first full time position in a rotational development program at a healthcare tech company. As a recent graduate yet to identify my professional passions, I relished the opportunity to work on four different teams in two years’ time. I learned quite a bit about career paths I felt no affinity for, but also rediscovered my passion for consumer behavior.
As the rotational program drew to a close, I struggled to determine my next steps. I spent months researching potential career opportunities, combining professional experience with vague academic memories. Without a market research background bolstering my resume, I relied partially on the ability to translate my passion to potential employers. Thankfully, after months of hard work, I secured a position at a wonderful market research company and have since enjoyed working in a field I’m passionate about!
What is your advice for someone who is struggling to find their passion?
I would advise patience and flexibility. As with countless other aspects of human life, an additional challenge to identifying professional passions is the tendency to compare yourself to others who seem to have already done so. In my experience, interests are plentiful and ever-changing; avoid discouragement in the knowledge that there is no set timeline for exploring professional passions.
In addition to allowing yourself time, be flexible in your exploration. Getting involved in projects and initiatives outside of your prescribed role allows for examination of other interests. Entertain the possibility that interesting anecdotes about grocery store arrangements could be viable career paths. Remain open-minded about where and when your passions might strike.
If you’re interested in sharing a career experience/lessons learned with other Aspire to Her community members, please fill out this quick form!
