When I entered the profession, the world was very different. My story--on the surface--won't be much like the career path of any young designer today.

All the same, I would venture the following advice:

• Start with yourself: Figure out where you stand (values) and where you want to go (mission) before embarking on your job search (https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/start-your-job-search-within-5-simple-steps-orient-direct-kaufmann).
• Look for overlap: At the start you might not have much choice of employers, but you can always look for the intersection between your own goals and the goals of the company and devote your energy to that sweet spot of mutual benefit. Read The Alliance for more on this.
• Follow your passion: You need to do something frequently to get good at it. So do something you love.

Design will evolve. Designers are makers and disrupters, so we'll continue to reinvent ourselves.

But the demand for creativity and empathy in solving human needs will always exist, so--no matter what else changes--designers will always be in demand. And designing will always be rewarding work.

Jay's LinkedIn profile: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jaykaufmann