TL:DR – Is it possible to get career advice from a language model? I prompted ChatGPT to help me out.
I’ve been in science communication for more than 30 years, you could say I’m in the late stages of my career, so I am seriously thinking about the next few years of my working life, but not entirely sure in what direction to go or indeed whether I shouldn’t just retire at this point (if only!). So, I gave ChatGPT the following prompt to see what it would come up with:
You are to act as a careers guidance counsellor with many years experience.
I added some personal career history and hobbies and asked it to come up with some advice for what I should do in the latter part of my career. This is what it had to say:
It sounds like you have had a very successful and diverse career as a freelance science journalist over the past 30+ years. Given your current situation and interests, there are a few different options you could consider.
Diversify your writing topics: Since you are already a skilled writer and journalist, you could try expanding your repertoire and writing about new topics. Perhaps there are areas of science that you haven’t explored before, or you could branch out into other areas of journalism such as arts or culture. This could help keep your work fresh and engaging, and could also potentially lead to new clients and opportunities.
Combine your interests: You mention that you are also a singer-songwriter and photographer. Perhaps there are opportunities to combine these interests with your writing. For example, you could write articles about music or wildlife photography, or even use your writing skills to promote your own music or photography. You could also consider exploring other creative outlets, such as podcasting or video production.
Explore new career paths: If you are feeling like you want a bigger change, there are many other career paths that could be a good fit for someone with your skills and experience. For example, you could explore teaching or mentoring, either in science or journalism, or even in music or photography. You could also consider starting your own business or consulting firm, using your expertise to help others in your field.
Prioritize your well-being: It’s clear that you have been through a lot in recent years, and it’s important to prioritize your well-being as you consider your next steps. This might mean taking some time off to recharge, or finding ways to work that allow for a better work-life balance.
It’s not really anything I hadn’t thought of myself, but if I hadn’t it would be nice to see it spelled out. The final suggestion is perhaps the most important for me though. I’ve never really taken much time off over the years. I do feel like I could do with a proper break. Just need to get my passport renewed, fix this Achilles’ tendon injury and get my walking boots packed for a butterflying trip to Greece, ASAP…