Pressing Pause before Pursuing a new job; a recipe for better outcomes
I was talking to someone whom I am helping grow their career.
She mentioned attending a seminar. The speaker, a very senior executive at a well-known worldwide brand, shared her career journey. The intent was to encourage others to chase their career goals by hearing about the executive’s career journey and keys to success.
The person I was talking with was questioning some of the shared principles. The hesitation was, if that is what it takes to become a senior executive, I am not sure I want to become a senior executive.
Two thoughts came to mind.
First, there are many ways to grow your career. These were just this executive’s experiences, and that didn’t mean it was the only way to become a senior executive. Sustainable success is found when you figure out how to achieve the things you want to achieve in a way that leverages who you were made to be. Rarely does that require you to fully copy the path or approach of another person; even if that person has been tremendously successful, what worked for them might not work for you.
Second, I recognized how insightful it was for her to pause and consider; if this is what it takes, I might not want it. It’s a gift to yourself when you take time to think before you act.
With so many folks considering a career move, here are some thoughts on making more intentional career choices.
Do your research
The world is full of content. Your social media profiles are full of connections. You can get access to enough information to assemble a realistic view of
What a job is really like
What a company is really like
What a leader is really like (this might be the hardest to uncover)
What it takes to succeed in a job or at a company. Things like
Skills and abilities
Experiences
Trade-offs to achieve success
The goal of your research is to get a more complete and accurate picture of the situation you are considering.
Cautionary tale: The world is full of content, but not all of it is truth. The more information you consume, the easier it is to separate fact from opinion and to differentiate the jaded from the genuine.
Do some self-reflection
Once you have a more complete view of the situation, ask yourself these or similar questions.
Why do you want this job …really?
Does the reason you want the job align with your overall life goals?
What sacrifices might you have to make after you take the job?
In the first 90 days
In the first six months
After the first year and beyond
What about your unique blend of skills, motivations, opportunity areas, experiences and energies would enable you to succeed in the job?
Are there habits you can build to increase your speed to confidence?
What about your unique blend would make it difficult to succeed?
Are there habits you can build to help you overcome these difficulties?
The goal is to understand your motivations and compatibility based on what you discovered and what you know about yourself.
Cautionary Tale: We are extremely good at lying to ourselves when we think we really want something. So if the first time you consider your life goals is when you are faced with a job opportunity, you might be surprised to arrive at the conclusion that the job fits “perfectly” with your goals, you know, the ones you didn’t have written down until the job showed up. Figure out your life plan now so when opportunities present themselves later, you are more certain they fit your goals and that you don’t write goals to fit the job.
Seek wise counsel.
Ask other people who care about you what they think. Consider sharing your discovery about the opportunity and the answers to your self-reflection questions. People to consider asking
A mentor or close friend
Your spouse or significant other
Anyone who would be impacted by your change
The goal of this is to eliminate confirmation bias and decrease the chance we are lying to ourselves about what we want, the depth of our skills, or our ability to succeed. A second opinion is a great way to get beyond bias.
Cautionary tale: Finding the wise counselors in your community is the key. You can find many people who will tell you want you want to hear or confirm your biases because they aren’t really invested in you; they just want to see you happy or avoid difficult conversations. You need to find people who are as invested in your success as you are.
Conclusion
This process is intended to help you get to the truth about the opportunity so you can honestly reflect and decide:
This is why I want this opportunity.
This is what it will be like to have it.
This is what it will cost me to have it.
These are the benefits of having it.
The goal of all of this is to try to ensure you are going after this opportunity as an intentional part of your life’s goals/plan with your eyes wide open to the good, the bad, and the ugly.
Cautionary tale: All change is uncomfortable. You should expect to struggle at first in a new job or with a new company or a new boss. In addition to helping you decide if a job is a good fit, all of your research and reflection will also help sustain you during the adjustment period.