Your Career Starts with the Right Questions

For many people, the career path begins not with a job, but with a single question: where do I start?

It's a career question that students, recent graduates and even working professionals often ask. And it's the question around which the "Career Compass: Find Your Path" program, launched at Yerevan State University (Երևանի պետական համալսարան, YSU), was built.

Participation and Format: An Open Talk on Career Questions⁠

As part of this initiative, I had the opportunity to take part in the panel discussion as a speaker. But this wasn't just another event. It was a real, open and honest conversation with students, with no attempt to give the "right answers".

One of the main topics of the discussion was employer expectations. Candidates very often focus on their knowledge, thinking it's what matters most, but in reality employers see a much broader picture.

We talked about:

• what happens during a job interview,
• what employers pay attention to,
• which mistakes come up most often,
• and what sets a good candidate apart from the rest.

AI Tools for Job Seekers: How to Use Them Well⁠

The topic of using AI (artificial intelligence) tools was especially interesting. Today, many people try to use different tools to prepare for job interviews, write answers or even phrase what they want to say. And this raises an important question about using AI in your job search: does it help or get in the way?

My answer was very simple: "What matters is not which tool you use, but how you use it."

If an applicant can frame the question correctly, apply the tool properly and get the answers they need, that is already an advantage. But if the tool is used without understanding and without thinking, it gets noticed very quickly.

In other words, AI can help, but it never replaces the person.

During the discussion, we also talked about self-presentation. Candidates very often try to give the "right answers", guessing what the employer wants to hear, but in reality the strongest candidates are the ones who manage to be honest and clear in their answers.

It's important to understand:

• what you want,
• what you can do,
• and what value you can create.

This is something no tool can generate.

Conclusion⁠

That's exactly why meetings like this matter. They create an environment where you can simply talk. Where you can ask what people usually don't ask. And where the answers come not from theory but from real experience.

For me, the most valuable part of this meeting was exactly this: seeing how interested the students were, how many questions they had, and how important it is for them to understand their next step.

The Career Compass program is an important initiative because it tries to close the gap that often exists between education and the labor market. It helps students understand reality, not as it's presented, but as it actually is.

"A career doesn't start with a job. A career starts with awareness. And once you understand what you want and what you bring to the table, everything becomes clearer."

Read also about the role of practical education at the start of a career. And when you're ready for the next step, capture your answers in a resume built with the CV generator and browse the jobs in Armenia page.

This article was published on the HR Drone platform to raise awareness of career development, help readers better understand employer expectations and help young professionals navigate the labor market with more confidence.