1. Empathy: School-to-work
Transition
August, 2013
Design Thinking

2. Empathy Map: Say (1)
• "I'm trying to decide whether to go to grad school or get a job"
• "I can't get experience without getting a job. And that requires experience"
• "It's harder to get a job now… with the economy"
• "There are some graduate programs that give you some work experience, which I
think could be useful for me."
• "I like a lot of things, so that's hard"
• "I asked them if I could hang out and do whatever I could"
• "it's socially hard to ask for help"
• "I offered to help on her thesis in exchange for getting introduced to a prime
employer"
• "he's had trouble finding jobs that he likes and pays well."
• "employers want to stick you in a single category"
• "a lot of times people don't want to take your experience seriously [because it's a
school organization or hobby]”
• "school's work services will try to help you get a job [snort]."
• "You never know if people want to hear it (help you) when you're networking”

3. Empathy Map: Say (2)
• "It's socially difficult to get out there – put yourself out there"
• "Through my professors I was able to get connections and that helps a lot even
though I think sometimes I annoy my professors. I care less about annoying them"
• "I can find people on linkedin, but I can't really use them as connections”
• "a lot of students want a stable job, they want to get out of debt and not live with their
parents. If you have a traditional job, it'll help avoid that. You're not getting paid at
random intervals"
• ”Friend says: I think I can take a class to design an app to make money so that I can
pursue what I really want. I don't think building an app is going to make her resume
look any better."
• "I think network connections are the biggest thing. At least knowing the person"
• "We have job fairs but we don't have events where we can meet people in the
industry”
• "I keep an eye out for people that could be useful to me"
• "I'm trying to leave myself open, but putting myself in a position to win this internship
will benefit me regardless”
• "networking events are a huge investment to come into the city”

4. Empathy Map: Say (3)
• "events are fleeting. Would be great if I could make my connections more productive"
• "Connections are critical"
• ”I want to do something with my skills that is valuable to society"
• "Once you move, you're stuck and it's harder to move after that or even interview
somewhere else."
• "A lot of people don't know when to start thinking about what to do after college"
• "A lot of people have the issue of whether to make a plan for themselves or figure it out
as they go along. It's hard to figure out when to start looking."
• "I think I'm trying to figure out my career early compared to a lot of people, but other
people know where they're going but have no idea how to get there other than perhaps
graduate school or med school. I have less idea where I'm going (and I'm not sure I
care)."
• "I want to stay in this industry and be happy in it and do something that is worthwhile.
This isn't necessarily what everyone needs."
• "I'm always looking for something that feels rewarding to me and is a job that makes
me happy"
• "If I take this opportunity I might miss out on this other opportunity that I don't even
know about”

5. Empathy Map: Do
• Did not witness the interviewee doing anything – only talking
about doing stuff

6. Empathy Map: Think
• needs to figure out what she wants to do
• does this primarily through considering whether to do
experiences and her schoolwork. Secondarily through
actual experiences and talking to people
• Good connections are key to finding good opportunities
• The economy is hard and makes good opportunities scarce
• She can modify her schoolwork, experiences and
connections to secure the best opportunities
• She wants to improve her resume to open up the door to
more opportunities
• It is hard to make connections and ask for help

7. Empathy Map: Feel
• She wants to be happy in her career, and this comes from doing
something fulfilling and worthwhile in the workplace
• She cares less about endgame and more about what opportunities
are available over the next five years
• She fears missing out on unknown opportunities
• It is uncomfortable to network and ask for favors
• Doesn’t like to be pigeonholed by employers
• It is painful to choose pathways (locations, positions, personal
brand, degrees) that might limit what opportunities I have access to
• Craves opportunities in media that sound exciting and build the
resume
• Wants to do something meaningful and worthwhile to society
• Doesn’t want to GET STUCK

8. Problem Statement
Smart, curious, driven (but slightly shy) undergrad at a good university has an industry
focus but likes to keep her options open.
Get access to more people willing to help and find exciting, near-term opportunities in
her industry
She hates being limited to only a few options, finding and asking for help is socially
painful, and ultimately access to these experiences will help her find meaningful work.
STAKEHOLDERNEEDINSIGHT
Needs a way to…
Because…