7 mistakes high achievers make when choosing their next career step (part 7)
We’ve reached the very last installment in this series!
You can read the introduction to the series here.
You can read about Mistake #1: Thinking in terms of jobs and roles…Instead of thinking in terms of applications of their craft here.
You can read about Mistake #2: Thinking in terms of industries and functions…Instead of thinking in terms of goals, blockers, and problems to be solved here.
You can read about Mistake #3: Discounting the value of your craft because it comes easily to you here.
You can read about Mistake #4: Prematurely accepting tradeoffs here.
You can read about Mistake #5: Being in Execution Mode instead of Exploratory Mode here.
You can read about Mistake #6: Using the School Grading Model instead of the Matchmaking Model here.
Today, let’s jump into Mistake #7.
Mistake #7: Expecting the process to be linear.
There are 4 levels of problem-solving you have to do when you’re figuring out your next career step.
Level 1: Meta: How am I even going to solve this problem?
Level 2: Strategy: What direction should I go in next?
Level 3: Execution: What specific companies and roles should I be applying for?
Level 4: Tactics: How do I get interviews, pass interviews, negotiate offers, etc.?
You would think that you’d tackle these linearly 📈
First, you figure out your process for even solving this problem.
You decide—
“I’m going to set the strategy by:
Doing a career assessment
Having 2 conversations each with 3 of my mentors
Having 1 conversation each with these 5 peers I respect
And giving myself 3 full days of reflection time
Then I’m going to search these 4 job boards and reach out to these 50 people in my network in order to surface the specific companies and roles I want to apply for.
Then I’m going to find common connections at each company so I can get a referral for each role.
I’m going to apply on the job board with custom resumes and cover letters for each role.
I’ll also send an email to the recruiter and the hiring manager when I apply.
Then I’m going to prepare for the interviews using ChatGPT to help me practice and help me find areas to improve.
Then I’ll have a few offers in hand. And I’ll negotiate them using advice from my friends who have done this before.”
And then you just put your head down and execute that plan.
Sounds like a lovely fantasy…
But I don’t know anyone whose job search process went like that 😂
The reality is that you tackle these circularly 🌀
You’re like—
[Level 3: Execution]
Let me search for job postings on LinkedIn and drop some applications…
[Level 4: Tactics]
Oh crap, I got an interview. Okay, let me prep for this…
[Level 2: Strategy]
Wait, do I even want this job? What do I even want to do next?
[Level 1: Meta]
How do I even figure that out? Maybe I should talk to this mentor? Ugh, I don’t want to bother them though, and I’ll probably sound like a total mess… Maybe I’ll start by reading this book.
[Level 3: Execution]
Crap, it’s been three weeks! I should apply for a few more jobs.
[Level 2: Strategy]
Okay, THIS job looks pretty cool though… Maybe this is the direction I should go in next?
[Level 4: Tactics]
Ugh, but they’re not getting back to me. How do I make them interview me??
[Level 2: Strategy]
Maybe I can’t get this kind of job, and I should aim for something else?
And on and on on and on :)
There is nothing wrong with this process!
You are not “going around in circles” when you do this.
You are making a little progress every day, along 4 different dimensions.
And swinging back and forth along the dimensions is often the best way to do this because every level of problem-solving feeds into the others.
Figuring out your next step is NOT like a set of dominoes that falls down neatly one by one.
It’s more like an interconnected puzzle box where you keep turning it around, and making a couple nudges on each side, and each little movement feeds into the next — until the puzzle is unlocked.
Video from @kagensound on Instagram
The problem is not that the process isn’t linear.
The problem is that high achievers tend to think the process should be linear.
And then you beat yourself up for “going around in circles”…
When in reality, you are 100% on track, and all you need to do is keep on going.
Keep making a little progress every day, on one of the 4 levels of problem-solving.
Keep letting each little step forward feed into and inform the next step.
Keep swinging across the 4 dimensions and pushing them forward bit by bit.
And you will unlock this puzzle box.
And if you’re getting stuck, come talk to me.
You can drop by anytime for a no-strings-attached coffee chat ☕️
It’s not a sales pitch.
It’s just an opportunity for us to discuss whatever’s on your mind…
And I’ll give you some one-off coaching about your situation.
Or you can book a consult call, and we can map out a full coaching engagement.
So you can not just get un-stuck once.
You can stay un-stuck for the entire process, until you’ve landed in your dream next role :)
⬅️ Mistake #6
What my clients have to say…
“Pooja strikes a really strong balance between troubleshooting immediate problems but at the same time, really tying in that there are tools I need to solve all my problems.
And that even though a problem I run into this week is different from a problem I run into next week, you can use the same frameworks to work your way out of it.
Now, I feel like I have a nice tool chest of frameworks and habits that I can rely on that not just change my work life, but also my personal life too.”
—Client | VP at Major Financial Institution
I help high achievers build their careers around flow.
This requires…
Internally, learning how to access your flow no matter what’s going on around you
Externally, designing a career strategy that angles your flow at a high-priority problem that someone will pay you good money to solve
Tactically, navigating the transition from the role you’re in to the role you want
Today’s article focused on #2.
For more writing on all 3 of these, check out my table of contents.
You can also support this publication (and make my day!) by subscribing and sharing it with anyone you think would find it helpful. Thank you for being here :)
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