Kenny Gonzalez

Kenny Gonzalez

Career Counselor


Skyline College

San Bruno, CA USA


Find things that you love, that you are good at, that are needed and that you could get paid for. These things are not mutually exclusive, you just have to find the right people that believe in you.

Milestones

My road in life took a while to figure out.
I changed my major 5 times, but eventually got a bachelor's degree in Psychology.
I was encouraged by a counselor to continue with education and pursue a master degree in Counseling: Marriage and Family Therapy.
I had completed all my clinical training, but decided not to pursue therapy and instead went into academic counseling.
I did academic counseling for nearly 20 years in a community college setting.
I got fascinated with the concept of Design Thinking.
I realized I could make a big impact if I could help students with early career discovery and exploration.
Today I utilize all my education, training, and passions mashing career counseling with design thinking and calling it Career by Design.
Keep following my journey

Career

Career Counselor

Creating a Career by Design model mashing Design Thinking and Career Exploration.

Career Roadmap

Roadmap
My work combines:
My work combines:
Education
Design
Helping People

Day to Day

I provide one-on-one career counseling with community college students. I am mashing the concepts of Design Thinking and Career Counseling and coming up with a new model called Career by Design. It's a student centered approached focused DISCOVERING self, EXPLORING different career option, DEFINING career path and PLANNING how to get there. I also teach Life and Career Planning classes.

Advice for Getting Started

Here's the first step for college students

Start by figuring out your skills, interests, abilities and values. Explore how these can align with potential careers. Keep in mind that many careers are being or have not been created yet. Use your talents to make a difference in this world. Take classes that peak your interests. Get involved on campus. Take advantage of your instructors' office hours to get to know them better.

Recommended Education

My career is related to what I studied. I'd recommend the path I took:

Hurdles

The Noise I Shed

From Family:

"As I young boy I felt a great deal of pressure from my family members. I was told that I would become a doctor, even though no one in my family is involved in the health field. "

Challenges I Overcame

First-Generation College Student
First-Generation Immigrant
Gangs / Violence