
Brainstorming is a creative activity that encourages thinking and dreaming about possibilities for your life, even if the ideas seem “wild” or “crazy.” However, be assured that there can be very practical and “do-able” ideas from the brainstorming process. Many jobs, such as social media directors, didn’t exist several years ago but were developed to meet new needs. Brainstorming was the key for Duane in discovering his career path. His initial career transition from working for a car rental agency to “directing a nonprofit organization that taught entrepreneurship to low-income young people” resulted from brainstorming. He had not thought of that idea before doing the brainstorming activity you are about to do.
Steps in brainstorming:
1. Choose one or more brainstorming partners.
The goal is to brainstorm with at least one other person, but you can brainstorm with more than one person at separate times or get a small group of people together to brainstorm with you. Select one or more people who can think creatively and will be able to envision you doing things differently from what you have done in the past. You can do this over the phone. However, it can be more energizing to do this exercise in person. For example, some people invite one or more participants to join them for dinner, dessert, or a pizza party. Some people do this with their small group. And others choose one person to do this with them,
2. Make copies of your CFT Skills Map™
Provide each participant in the brainstorming with a copy of your CFT Skills Map™.

3. Invite your partner(s) to join you for an hour.
This will allow some time to talk about what you’ll be doing together and still have at least 30 minutes of brainstorming time. (It can take a while to get warmed up and begin coming up with ideas.) Depending on how many people you brainstorm with, it could take less time. Here is one way to invite others to participate:
Hi Joe. I recently completed a career assessment at CareerFitTest.com, and I am taking the next step of exploring careers that would be the best fit for me. I have been using different strategies to explore occupations, and I am now at the step of brainstorming career options. To do this, I need a brainstorming partner. Would you be willing to spend 30-60 minutes with me in a brainstorming exercise that will use the results from the career assessment? When you get a “yes,” ask them, “What dates and times would you be available in the next week or two?”
4. During the brainstorming session.
As the facilitator of the brainstorming with your partner(s), your goal will be to help them develop as many potential work activities as possible. To best do this, start by giving them a copy of your CFT Skills Map™ and describe the three skill groups you assessed – transferable, personal, and content skills. Next, explain how they can use one or more of your skills to describe work activities.
Here is an example of a brainstorming session that you can share with your partner(s) so that they can better understand what a brainstorming session should look like:
Sample Skills from a CFT Skills Map™:
Transferable Skills
-Design/Create, Coach/Mentor, Plan, Facilitate/Lead groups, Teach/Train, Perform physically
Personal Skills
-Helpful, Creative, Analytical
Content Skills
-Sports and recreation: camping, backpacking, climbing, canoeing, kayaking, rafting
-Social issues: poverty
-Relationships: spiritual development of children, teens
Here is an example from a brainstorming session that uses two or more of these skills:
-Plan Backpacking trips for youth groups
-Plan Rock climbing trips for adventure travel groups
-Plan outdoor trips for disabled people
-Lead outdoor trips that promote spiritual growth
-Lead team-building backpacking trips
-Design backpacking equipment
-Take juvenile offenders on camping trips
-Plan and run youth day camps during the summer
-Lead rock-climbing trips in national parks
-Design and build rock-climbing parks
-Create displays in recreation equipment stores
-Help others plan for their outdoor adventures
Sharing this with your partner(s) will give them a better idea of what you are asking them to do.
Here are the keys to making your brainstorming session successful:
a) Avoid job titles: As you can see, none of these descriptions are job titles. Job titles limit your brainstorming, restricting it to jobs a person already knows about. If your partner gives a job title, such as, “You could be an architect,” ask him or her, “What do you see me doing?” That question could generate many ideas, such as “You could design houses…buildings…hospitals…daycare centers…homes for the elderly…outdoor spaces for retreat centers…etc., etc.”
b) If the person(s) brainstorming gets stuck, suggest using a new skill. For example, you can tell them, “You haven’t used much of the skill of “teach/train.” Can you connect this skill with any others and brainstorm work activities? This will usually produce more brainstormed descriptions.
c) Write down EVERY idea you or your partner(s) generate, even if you hate the idea. Your primary job will be to act as a scribe, writing down any ideas brainstormed. (You can also add your own brainstormed ideas.) Don’t worry about whether you would like the activity if it exists or if you could make a living doing it. Remember that if an idea appeals to you—even if it seems impractical—you can look at the statement further to see what practical ideas could come from it. It’s much easier to “tame” a wild idea and find practical aspects than to take safe, predictable, boring ideas and make them exciting!
d) Avoid giving feedback during the brainstorming. If you like an idea and say aloud, “I love that idea,” this will focus further brainstorming in that direction, and you may miss out on other ideas. If you say, “I would hate doing that,” this may discourage your brainstorming partner from producing more ideas.
e) Don’t analyze during the brainstorming. When someone attempts to create ideas and analyze them simultaneously, it is like trying to drive a car while simultaneously pushing the accelerator and brake. It doesn’t get you far; it’s bad for the vehicle and a frustrating journey. You will have a more productive experience if you first brainstorm ideas and then, after the brainstorming, evaluate them.
6. After the brainstorming session.
Review the list of brainstormed ideas and select the most appealing ideas—even if they seem impractical. You can say to your partner(s), “Thank you so much for your help! If it is okay with you, I will take a few minutes to identify the most interesting descriptions. I’ll then share that with you.”
7. Send a thank you note or email.
In addition to thanking them after the brainstorming session, brainstorming partners always appreciate receiving an email or snail mail thank you.
8. Complete any other brainstorming on your own and with anyone else.
Use the brainstorming list and your CFT Skills Map™ to continue the brainstorming on your own or with others.
9. Prioritize your brainstormed list.
Review the brainstorming results and prioritize your top five ideas to explore further. You can explore these ideas using the Career Fit Test™ Search Tool, Occupational Outlook Handbook, and Career One Stop.
For ideas not found in these resources, you can explore the ideas online by using the description and adding “career” or “job.” For example, “plan outdoor trips for disabled people jobs.” You can also search online using the keywords “how to get a job planning outdoor trips for disabled people.” Results from this search include “Outdoor Activity Jobs Working With the Disabled.”
10. Use ChatGPT as an assistant for brainstorming.
You can ask ChatGPT to brainstorm occupations related to your top transferable, personal, and content skills. Here is a prompt that you can use on ChatGPT, “Please brainstorm occupations that would use my transferable skills of ___________, ____________, ______________, ____________, and _______________. My personal skills of ______________, ____________, and _______________. And my content skills of _____________, ____________, and ________________.”
If you don’t get the desired results, add other skills and ask ChatGPT to produce more occupations.
10. Ask ChatGPT and Google to provide the next steps.
Ask ChatGPT and Google for the steps to do the activity that came from the brainstorming. For example, if one of the ideas you would like to explore is “plan outdoor trips for disabled people,” you can add this to a Prompt on ChatGPT or Google and ask, “How can I find people who plan outdoor trips for disabled people?” Here are some of the results from this prompt:
Finding individuals or organizations that plan outdoor trips for disabled people may involve a combination of online and offline strategies. Here are some suggestions to help you locate such resources:
Online Searches:
Use search engines to look for companies or individuals specializing in accessible outdoor trips for people with disabilities. Use specific keywords like “accessible outdoor adventures,” “inclusive travel for disabled individuals,” or “adaptive outdoor experiences.”
Social Media:
Explore social media platforms, especially those focused on travel and disability advocacy. Join relevant groups or forums where people might share information about accessible travel services. Platforms like Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram can be particularly useful.
Ask for Recommendations:
Reach out to your network and ask for recommendations. Friends, family members, or colleagues may have come across or know of organizations that plan outdoor trips for people with disabilities.
As you can see, ChatGPT provides some helpful next steps. You could also ask, “How could I make a living planning outdoor trips for disabled people?”
Summary
Brainstorming is a fantastic way to explore how the results of your transferable, personal, and content skills in your CFT Skills Map™ can be used within work. It can also help you discover your dream job. If your dream job doesn’t exist in the Career Fit Test™ Search Tool, you can use other online and offline resources to learn more about how you could obtain or create that dream job.