Before You Asked "What Job?" You Asked "Who Is Like Me?"

The most searched career exploration filters of 2025 reveal what you (students) really needed to know.

You know that moment when you're scrolling through career advice and everyone seems to have it all figured out?

They started their internship freshman year. They had family connections. They already knew someone in the field.

And you're thinking: That's not me. That's not my story.

Here's what we learned when we looked at how thousands of students actually explored careers in 2025:

Before you searched for industries, you searched for people.

Not just any people. People like you.

What You Were Really Looking For

The top 5 most-searched professional traits weren't about job titles or salary ranges:

1. First-Generation College Student

2. Transfer Student

3. Worked 20+ Hours During School

4. Veteran

5. Took Out Loans

You weren't looking for the shiniest success story. You were looking for your story. For proof that people who started where you started actually make it.

Why This Matters More Than You Think

Career advice is everywhere. But advice without relatability doesn't work.

Because when someone who had every advantage tells you "just do what I did," your brain doesn't hear a roadmap—it hears a reminder of what you don't have.

But when you see someone who transferred twice, worked nights to pay rent, and still built the career they wanted? That's different. That's not inspiration—that's permission.

Permission to believe you're not behind. Permission to stop comparing your Chapter 1 to someone else's Chapter 20.

What You're Actually Searching For

You're not searching for success. You're searching for proof that the path exists for people like you.

That's why students filter by identity before you filtered by industry. Because confidence comes before curiosity. You need to believe you belong in the room before you can imagine yourself in the role.

Most career platforms skip this entirely. They show you what jobs exist, not who does them. They tell you what skills you need, not that people like you already have them.

But you already knew something most career programs and advice are not prioritizing: Seeing someone similar doesn't just reduce fear. It changes what you think is possible.

Ready to explore careers through people who started where you are?

→ Find professionals who share your story at www.students.advizehub.com

Emily McSherry

Founder & CEO, Advize