Experiment

It’s time to try things out! This step is all about doing experiments that help you gather information and test your ideas. We call this prototyping. Prototyping allows you to test career paths and ideas before making long-term commitments. As you build your own prototypes, you’ll come up with low-risk and exploratory experiences like internships, career conversations, job shadowing, and side projects that will help you gather real-world insights, build connections, and refine your direction based on lived experiences rather than just assumptions.

Prototyping encourages a mindset of curiosity, adaptability, and continuous learning—key skills for navigating an evolving career landscape. Below you’ll find a sample prototype plan to help you design your own career experiments. Don’t skip this step! Prototyping gives you the knowledge & confidence to make informed decisions about your next steps.

Note: To access a fillable version of the Prototype Plan, click the link above and download the PDF.

Sample Prototype Plan