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Entry-Level Positions For Aspiring Founders

Maria, Founder at WellSpace, advises undergraduate students seeking entry-level positions to prioritize gut feelings and passions over societal expectations, suggesting "the entry level positions that would be good for you are the ones you think are good for you." This unconventional approach, focusing on self-discovery through diverse experiences, cultivates an entrepreneurial mindset and avoids the potential regret of pursuing paths dictated by external pressures.

Career Exploration, Entrepreneurial Mindset, Following Your Gut, Passion-Driven Career, Risk-Taking

Advizer Information

Name

Job Title

Company

Undergrad

Grad Programs

Majors

Industries

Job Functions

Traits

Maria Ko (Kiejnich)

Founder

WellSpace

UCLA Class of 2020

Harvard Graduate School of Education, Ed.M. in Learning Design, Innovation and Technology

Economics

Healthcare, Medical & Wellness, Technology

Entrepreneurship and Business Owner

International Student, First Generation College Student

Video Highlights

1. Follow your gut and make decisions based on your passions, not societal pressures.

2. Take small risks and invest in yourself to develop an entrepreneurial mindset.

3. Don't follow traditional career paths; create your own track by pursuing opportunities that excite you and align with your values.

Transcript

What entry-level positions in this field might an undergraduate college student consider?

If you want to be an entrepreneur, you can be. Being an entrepreneur is about having the mindset of one. As an undergraduate college student, if you want a certain position, you shouldn't consider societal pressures or outside voices.

The number one thing you have to begin doing now is following your gut. By taking small risks, investing in yourself, and making decisions with your gut, you'll organically start developing an entrepreneurial mindset step by step.

If you are passionate about lyrics and want to write songs, and you're considering an internship in a studio, but then think, "No, my financial future requires me to do something else," reframe that. Every time you find yourself thinking, "I *need* to be doing something," that's probably not the right route.

Instead, ask yourself, "I *get* to do this," or "I *want* to do this," and "How cool would this be?" That is likely the correct path. Those small risks will pay off.

You'll learn how to count on yourself, trust your passions, and take a leap of faith on non-traditional routes. Those opportunities you take on at the undergraduate level don't define you. No one will question your resume because you pursued what you were passionate about.

It's about the story you tell regarding these experiences. It's about passion and being real with yourself about what you care about and what you want to do. This will inform your decisions. Every entrepreneur starts from a place of knowing who they are and what they care about.

To get there, you need experiences that show you what you *don't* care about or don't enjoy. You might find things cool, do them, and then realize you don't want to pursue them further. This is the biggest investment you can make with your time in your early twenties.

It's a waste of time to do what everyone else expects. Later in life, in your thirties or forties, you'll be done with that path and experience frustration. Life circumstances might not allow for flexibility or career changes then, or making a change will be very stressful and less viable.

Entry-level positions should be the ones you think are good for you, not the ones the world tells you. Don't go for the same internships as everyone else or try to follow the same tracks. Make your own track; that will be the best one for you.

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