We are often told to make a ten-year plan. That can be a daunting task, especially in high school. In this talk I'll share how I've let a purpose rather than a plan guide my career. This approach has made it easier for me to explore different opportunities even when they appeared to be tangential or off-track. My career goals were shaped by growing up in an industrial city in Mexico where I got to see the huge difference between the sophistication that some industries have compared to others. One worker got to work alongside automation while others had to work in poor ergonomic conditions sewing clothes. Observing this disparity helped shape my career goal to make tools that help people do their work, in particular to get people protection from dull, dirty, or dangerous jobs. I'll talk about how that purpose has acted as a north star but not a constraint. I will also highlight how important it has been for me to see others who look like me or share a similar background in a position of success.