I was recently working with a coaching client who said she was at a crossroads in her career. She wants to shift her current tech career but is not sure in which direction.
- Should she move to the management track?
- Should she go back to school for her Masters?
- Should she pursue machine learning?
- UX/UI seems interesting. Then again, data and AI would really take advantage of her Python skills.
- Wait! What if she left her current F1000 employer for a well-funded startup where she can wear more hats?
Whew! Her choices were making my head spin.
I suggested something that she did not expect. I suggested she put all her options into a jar. Then pick one option and spend a minimum of 24 hours with it. In that 24 hours she would:
- Begin to imagine herself walking down that path of the option. How does she feel while she does that? Is she excited, scared, drained?
- Reach out to 2-3 people on LinkedIn or in her circle already pursing the option she is considering to see if they have time for a 15-minute chat.
- Finally, and this is a big one, she would look and listen for signs. Listen to songs, look at license plates, watch advertisements or pay attention to something someone says that makes you think of this option. Sometimes just saying “give me a sign that I am on track or off base with this option” will have you watching a train (on track) go past or someone in a baseball cap (off base) will cross your path. I am not saying it needs to be the final answer, but it can be helpful as you make some decisions.
What questions are spinning around in your head?
Try putting the possible options into a jar, pick one out and see what answers have been waiting patiently for you.
Being On Track
Being Off Base
