Even if you’re having trouble thinking of what kind of geeky job(s) you’d want, I’m sure you know exactly the kinds of jobs you DON’T want.  Think of them like your dream jobs’ legion of evil twins.

Write down the top five to ten jobs you’d least want to do.  What do they have in common?  Are they tedious?  Do you have to follow strict rules or work within a strict hierarchy?  Do they force you to be social if you don’t like that, or isolated if you don’t like that? 

Now, think of the opposite of each of those qualities.  For example, if it’s the tedium that bothers you, then your key words are innovation, change, and new experiences.  So write down all the jobs you can think of that give you that excitement of new experiences and let you experiment with new ideas.  This list should point you in the right direction.

-Tamara Hecht