Questions are more fun to ask when you actually get to discover the answers. It sounds so basic, but it’s insane how often we don’t research information we’re most curious about or avoid investigating issues or opportunities that could have a profound affect on on lives.

Let’s take this a step further. Take the time now to get answers to your biggest questions. Pick ONE industry or function from all of your brainstorming above on an area of opportunity you’d like more information about. We’re going to have you dive deep into online research about that for a minimum of 15 minutes. (Which is really nothing compared to the time you should spend researching opportunities for yourself, but this is a starting point, a teaser.)

1. Choose an industry or function to research. Focus on one of great interest to you, that you still have a lot to learn about.
2. Turn your phone to “do not disturb” or “silent.” Set the timer for 15 minutes.
3. Enter the name of the industry or function you choose into a search engine. Your goal is to find options, pathways, insights, and new ways to describe work that you might like to do.
4. Hit “go” on the timer, skim through the information you find, and keep clicking on links as you discover details of interest. This should quickly lead you to new pages, new angles, and insights about your industry or function.
5. TAKE NOTES! Now, and always.
6. When the timer is up, stop and reflect on what you discovered. Compose a one page report about what you learned that could be useful to your career as you explore your options. Use as much detail, facts, figures, trends, and references as you can. Build a case for why this path might or might not be a good one for you to pursue.
7. Imagine that your next step is sharing what you found with a top person in your field who has offered to give you some advice about your best options. How can you show them quickly that you’re not wasting their time and that you have done some research to talk about your possibilities with substance and context? Keep this in mind as you write your paper. Frame your narrative like that. Consider sharing it with advisors or mentors.
8. Upload it as a Word Document, Google Doc or PDF.