21st Century Culture Fit

The Goal: Students often grapple with questions such as “What is the right career for me?” “What is the right college for me?” “What is the specific thing I should be planning for when I start my career?” However, students rarely consider “What type of culture and environment would fit me?” until years after high school. This exercise is designed to get them thinking about this last question to help guide their decision making process.

College & Career

Materials

  • Indigo Reports
  • Access to internet for research

Step 1: Explain these four “culture fits” to students. They are intentionally broad, as they give room for students to define it more narrowly to fit themselves.

Entrepreneurial Fit: Fast-paced, change-oriented environment. Suited for thrill seekers looking for a high-risk job with constantly shifting responsibilities and priorities but a chance for a big payoff—in reputation, in money, in social impact, et cetera.

Corporate Fit: Fast-paced, detail-oriented environment. Suited for high performers looking for a stable job with a clear procedure to follow for advancement and promotion.

Non-Profit Fit: Steady-paced, change-oriented environment. Suited for cause-driven individuals looking for a potentially high-risk job with a chance to use their talents to solve a large societal issue.

Government Fit: Steady-paced, detail-oriented environment. Suited for steady and highly detailed individuals looking for a stable job with clearly defined responsibilities, priorities and a consistent workflow.

Step 2: Have students get in groups based on the “fit” that most interests them. Have them spend a class period researching their fit online, and then at the end of class take 3-5 minutes for each group to present the pros, cons, and anything else that is interesting about pursuing a major or job in that fit.

Step 3: Have students research 5 potential jobs or majors in the culture fit that most interest them and write a short paragraph for each explaining how it fits into their top DISC style, top 1-2 Motivators, and/or top 5 skills on their Indigo Summary Page. That way, they are looking for jobs or majors that not only interest them but also align with who they are. You may either take another class period for Part 3 or assign it for homework.

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