On navigating uncertainty
I recently saw a new computer science graduate share their frustration about the job search on LinkedIn. They’re losing faith, and honestly, I get it. Twenty-five years ago, I watched my own industry shift beneath my feet as new technologies made entire roles obsolete. That feeling of preparing for one world only to graduate into another—I remember it viscerally.
I don’t have all the answers or some magical framework that makes this easier. What I want to share are lessons learned about building what I call a “second safety net”—not a backup plan exactly, but a different way of thinking about career resilience. These reflections come from my own journey through four career shifts in the past 25 years, and my experience as an international admission counselor since early 2020.
What I Learned
When my industry shifted 25 years ago, I spent months trying to force my way back into roles that no longer existed. The breakthrough came when I stopped thinking about jobs and started asking different questions: “What problems can I solve?” and “What value can I create?” This shift took years of stumbling and experimenting. I was fortunate to have mentors who helped me see connections between seemingly unrelated experiences. Design skills from one role became user experience expertise in another. The ability to explain complex grammatical concepts translated into corporate training and development. Each transition taught me that skills are more portable than we think—if we learn to translate them.
Five Years of Watching Students Navigate Change
What strikes me most about today’s students is how they instinctively understand something it took me years to learn: the need for range. The student exploring criminology, business, and theater isn’t confused—he’s building adaptability before he even knows he needs it.
International students especially embody this adaptability, constantly navigating between cultures, languages, and educational systems. They’re already practicing what all careers increasingly demand: the ability to translate value across contexts.
For the computer science graduate losing faith: yes, entry-level coding jobs are increasingly automated or offshored. That’s brutal and real. But there’s another path. Just as design and theater students build public portfolios early, CS students can leverage AI as a powerful tool rather than viewing it as competition. Share your projects online. Use AI to amplify your capabilities. Document your problem-solving process, not just your code. The opportunities are shifting toward those who combine technical knowledge with human judgment—technical writing, implementation support, AI-assisted development, and roles we haven’t even imagined yet.
Building Your Second Safety Net
Again, the “second safety net” isn’t about having a Plan B career. It’s about developing a mindset and practices that create options:
Widen your peripheral vision: Pay attention to problems in industries you wouldn’t normally consider. Your skills might solve problems in unexpected places.
Document everything: Every project, skill, and random capability. My most unexpected opportunities came from odd combinations of experience.
Practice translation: Can you explain technical concepts to non-technical people? Show how humanities backgrounds apply to business problems? This becomes crucial when industries shift.
Build bridges before you need them: Informational conversations, genuine LinkedIn connections, curiosity about what people actually do. Opportunities come from weak ties, not job boards.
The Tension We Must Name
There’s real tension between “follow your passion” and “pay your rent.” When facing student loans and a tough market, passion feels like luxury. I’ve taken jobs I didn’t love to maintain stability while building toward something better. That’s not failure—it’s strategy.
Sometimes your purpose becomes clearer through elimination. Learning what you don’t want can be as valuable as knowing what you do want. The path is rarely direct, and that’s okay.
What Career Transitions Have Taught Me
The landscape will keep shifting. AI is reshaping computer science today; it will transform other fields tomorrow. I don’t believe that any specific degree guarantees security.
But here’s what 25 years and four career shifts have taught me: The disruption itself isn’t the real challenge—it’s the identity crisis that comes with it.
When your job title disappears, who are you?
When your industry transforms, what’s your value?
The people who navigate this successfully don’t just build new skills—they develop what I call “professional polyglotism.” Like speaking multiple languages, they learn to operate in multiple professional contexts simultaneously. They might be a data analyst on Monday, a project coordinator on Wednesday, and a customer insights specialist on Friday—not because they’re unfocused, but because they understand that value creation doesn’t fit in neat boxes anymore.
To that computer science graduate: Your technical knowledge isn’t worthless because entry-level jobs are scarce. The challenge—and I know this is hard when you’re in it—is figuring out where else that knowledge creates value. Sometimes it’s in places you’d never expect.
Moving Forward Together
For those who’ve navigated career disruptions: What helped you build your second safety net? What do you wish someone had told you in the midst of it?
For those currently facing uncertainty: What’s most challenging about translating your capabilities into this market?
And for myself: What would I do if I faced sudden change in my career tomorrow? The question keeps me honest about maintaining my own safety net.
Remember: resilience isn’t built in crisis—it’s built in the small, consistent actions we take when things feel stable. Start building yours today.
P.S. To all the students I’ve worked with over five years at Drury, including those who’ve moved on: I hope this helps. I know it’s “easier said than done”—it always is until you start doing it.
 | A guest post by
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