“Design thinking is a human-centered approach to innovation that draws from the designer’s toolkit to integrate the needs of people, the possibilities of technology, and the requirements for business success,” according to Tim Brown, CEO of IDEO. In the best-selling book, Designing Your Life: How to build a well-lived, joyful life, authors Bill Burnett and Dave Evans apply the design thinking model and mindsets to our own lives and careers, helping us reinvent ourselves using an empathic and innovative approach to identify our career questions and find solutions.

In January 2018, I embarked on my own innovative solution to a problem I hoped to solve. “How can I help women through career reinvention while simultaneously building community, so they don’t feel isolated in the process?” The Designing Your Career for IU Alumnae virtual group coaching experience was launched, and in January 2019, the second iteration will begin.

Designing Your Career is a six week, virtual group made up of 10 IU alumnae at all stages of career who are curious, collaborative, and ready to take action in career reinvention. We will creatively design the next phase in our career with thought-provoking and actionable steps. We will couple this structured process with videos and texts from thought leaders who can uniquely inspire and care for us along the journey regarding the unique issues women face in the workplace, including: confidence, vulnerability, & wellness.

What to Expect:

• Six 45-minute interactive and instructional sessions, using video conferencing
• Five 30-minute optional group coaching sessions, using video conferencing
• A structured and actionable process for moving through reinvention with ‘homework’ in between each session
• Goal sharing, progress reporting, and a chance for feedback
• A group of women who are of, by and for IU supporting one another

Here are a few things the participants from 2018 had to say:

“Erin’s patient, intuitive leadership and the group of amazing women she convened who were also contemplating career transitions provided desperately needed peer advocacy support and grounding. She guided us through the Designing Your Life proven approach to discovery and action and I was given a renewed sense of confidence, direction, and permission to redesign my career and life, even at 50, for better.”

“Be prepared to be pleasantly surprised! The program deeply challenged me and my mindset. It provoked me to re-evaluate the whole of my life and provides the impetus for authentic life change.”

“It was the single most valuable professional development experience of my career. It offered the perfect blend of learning, collaboration, and accountability. The format of creating a community of support enhanced the experience while creating meaningful connections that will transcend the program schedule.”

I’d love to hear from you. The course is $150 including the book. If you would like to promote the group to your IU community or have questions, please email me at erserwin@indiana.edu.