How does anyone know what they want to do with the rest of their life? The reality is many people don’t. You just need the courage to experience new things, even if you may not end up liking them. Life is about trial and error. It can be hard to develop and maintain this mindset with external pressure – whether from family, friends, teachers, and others – to know what professional and personal path you want to pursue so early in your life. This is especially true in a program like Queen’s Commerce, where students often pursue similar career paths. It can be challenging to pave your own path when so many people are doing something different from what you envision for yourself.
But don’t fret, I’ve got you covered! In this blog, I will walk through what it takes to find your niche so you can seek personal and professional fulfillment while also reflecting on my journey in discovering and embracing my passions to carve a path that resonates with my goals and aspirations.
Mehak’s Pro Tip #1: Unsure? Try it Anyway. Don’t like it? Try Something New.
Many people shy away from opportunities, afraid they won’t like them and feel they are wasting meaningful time and energy they could dedicate to something else. But how can you know if something is for you if you don’t give it a chance? Trying new things can help you cross out what doesn’t align with your skills and interests, allowing you to reshift your focus to other areas. So, what does this look like in practice?
In my first two years of Commerce at Smith, I thought I’d go into finance. Much of this stemmed from family pressure and my friends, classmates, and peers. I saw people joining finance and consulting clubs a few weeks into the semester, signing up for case competitions, applying for internships, and more. My mindset going into the program was to explore different avenues of business. Was I expected to know exactly what I wanted to do for my career in my first year of university? The answer is no. If you do, that’s great, but university can and should be a place to explore different interests until you find what works for you.
After spending two years applying for finance clubs and internships and not making much progress either personally or professionally, I realized finance wasn’t for me. I was forcing it on myself, and when I struggled to contemplate meaningful responses to interview questions, write genuine answers to application questions, or find motivation to recruit and do anything finance-related in general, I knew I had to pivot. I’m glad I did because now I know I won’t have regrets or wonder if finance was a better option for me. It also led to my growing passion for sports and entertainment, marketing, and potentially law.
After my second year, I landed a Marketing Internship at a Canadian professional soccer league – the Canadian Premier League. This became a pivotal moment, reaffirming my passion for marketing, branding and storytelling, especially in the sports industry.
For context, I grew up playing and watching sports. Basketball, in particular, excited me. After years of playing on my school teams, I quickly became immersed in the NBA. Basketball gave me confidence, and it was something I could speak to. This eventually expanded into a general appreciation for the sports industry. What most resonated with me about sports was the unpredictability, thrill, and stories behind the teams, players, leagues, etc. After taking a Sports and Entertainment Marketing course in high school, I started seeing sports from a marketing lens. Likewise, social media, music, television and movies make up so much of who I am, and the course allowed me to leverage my passion for these areas to generate insights from a marketing standpoint. In an industry as versatile and analytical as marketing, knowing your product and consumers goes a long way in your success and the quality of your work. More than that, you enjoy what you’re marketing so much more!
After my internship, I realized I could combine my love for impactful storytelling with my passion for sports and entertainment to pursue a sports and entertainment marketing career.
Fast forward to September of last year, I joined the Queen’s Women in Leadership (QWIL) as a Digital Strategy Coordinator and Queen’s Commerce Law Association (QCLA) as the Marketing Director in my third year. I specifically scouted for marketing-related roles in both clubs to further explore my interest in marketing. Even though marketing was at the top of my mind, I didn’t want to rule out other career possibilities. That said, law school has been at the back of my mind, so I joined QCLA to learn about other potential options. Specifically, I was curious whether my passion for sports and entertainment could also be applied in the legal industry – an idea that transpired after reading about legal cases with sports leagues, record labels, musical artists, and more
Now, I’m in my fourth year, nearing graduation. Do I know what I want to do forever? No. But I know what I want to do now: sports and entertainment marketing. These clubs, internships, firm day events, etc., showed me all the areas I could see myself working in, but I don’t need to limit myself to one industry or role for the rest of my life. After speaking to professionals in both marketing and law who came from all types of backgrounds, I came to terms with the fact that I have a whole life ahead of me. Law school doesn’t have to be now, but it could be later. Or maybe I’ll stay in marketing. My biggest win was embracing my love for sports and entertainment because it set the tone for all the opportunities I’ve been pursuing and is something I’m 100% sure of, if nothing else.
As a baseline, if you can truthfully answer the following questions (there are many others), it’s a good indication that you can see yourself pursuing a particular path. These questions help me when I’m deciding whether or not to apply for a role.
What impact do I want to make in this chosen field (think goals, achievements, etc.)?
What projects do I want to work on in this industry?
Are there particular companies I envision myself working at, and what about them pulls me to them?
What do I want to learn from this industry/job/etc.?
What expertise and experiences can I bring to the role/industry/etc.?
Mehak’s Pro Tip #2: Find People that Speak Your Language.
Okay, the first tip was a bit lengthy, but I hope I didn’t lose you.
The next point I want to touch on is the importance of finding people that speak your language. What I mean by this is surrounding yourself with people (i.e. friends, professors, former co-workers, etc.) with similar passions, interests, professional goals, mindsets and/or perspectives. This is especially helpful when pursuing a niche path relative to your friends and peers. These people will be the best support throughout your recruiting or career development process – emotional and otherwise. They can direct you to the right resources, provide recruiting tips (i.e. resume feedback), send you job postings from their networks, among other things.
What I found most valuable from having such types of support in my recruiting and journey is the mental and emotional support. Hearing other peoples’ experiences and knowing you’re not the only one dealing with the highs and lows of the recruiting process in your chosen field puts things into perspective. Beyond that, these supports can help you stay connected to your reasons for pursuing your path in the first place through shared goals, work experiences, industry insights, etc. Your mind will be in the right place whenever you feel out of touch with your path. For me, this meant coffee chatting with Smith School of Business alum working in the sports industry for advice, support and insights, having conversations about sports and music with my friends, etc. Even something as simple as sending Instagram Reels or TikToks about sports, music, or whatever industry you’re into can keep your vision and passion alive.
My mindset and approach toward my career path shifted significantly simply through having conversations with friends on similar journeys. Here is some of the best advice I’ve gotten, courtesy of my friends (shoutout to y’all).
“If you want something bad enough, you’ll put in the work. It’ll definitely be a grind, but it will feel so good once you get it.”
“Stay balanced. You won’t have anything to give if you burn out. Things will work out if you put in the work.”
“Use LinkedIn religiously. Job postings are constantly posted, so you must stay on top of it.”
“Connections are critical to finding your first job, especially in an industry like sports.”
“It’s normal to fumble in interviews. Interviewers know it. Do your best and be yourself. Calmness is key. Let your personality shine through your responses.”
Mehak’s Pro Tip #3: Your Passions Are Who You Are.
One thing about me is that I can’t do something half-heartedly. I need to be passionate about my work and have a clear purpose and goal in mind. Of course, you may not like EVERYTHING about a job, role, etc. But I want to enjoy what I’m doing enough to the point where it doesn’t feel like work.
How do I do this? I look for opportunities to integrate my love for sports and entertainment, marketing and law into every day hobbies, activities, conversations, etc. In other words, I’ve made my desired professional field a part of my personality because, in reality, it is who I am to the core. In doing so, I’m essentially establishing my personal brand. In my opinion, if you can incorporate your professional interests into your personal life without it feeling forced, you’ve found your niche. Put simply, if you enjoy discussing topics related to your chosen field or engaging with it outside of work, school, etc., it might be a sign that you’ve found your niche.
What does this look like for me? Watching NBA games and staying on top of teams’ social media platforms, including Instagram and TikTok, downloading apps for sports leagues and teams to get real-time updates, incorporating sports and entertainment-related case studies into class assignments where appropriate, listening to podcasts about sports, music, etc., observing how my friends and family interact with music, sports, etc. and the list goes on. I’ve also managed to touch on my passions in various club roles. For instance, I did a Women in Sports podcast for QWIL’s WilPower Out Loud series.
If thinking about your chosen field drives you and excites you, you know you’ve found a real one.
Final Thoughts (Did You Think I Was Finished?)
If there’s one thing I’ve learned, it’s that finding your niche isn’t about having all the answers right away – it’s about being open to trying new things, even if you’re unsure about them. It’s about embracing the process of trial and error, figuring out what works for you, and crossing out what doesn’t
Your path doesn’t have to look like anyone else’s, and it probably won’t. The key is to lean into what excites you, find people who support and inspire you, and let your passions guide you. And remember – it’s okay if your goals change over time.
The best part? Your niche isn’t just what you do; it can be a part of who you are. The more you explore, the more you’ll find ways to integrate your interests into your everyday life. Whether it’s conversations with friends, hobbies, or career opportunities, you're on the right path if it lights you up and feels true to you.
So, don’t stress about having it all figured out. Take it at your pace, follow what feels right and authentic to you, and trust that you’re building something that’s uniquely yours. Knowing what’s truly meant for you can take weeks or it can take years, so be patient and enjoy the present.
All the best with everything. I believe in all of you!
Mehak
External Initiatives | Student Engagement Coordinator
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