When EXIT isn’t the only option

Jun 7

Four bold letters, blazing in red, pointed Meghan in the direction of her next career move. Was there an alternative to making an EXIT? She found her answer by asking herself three important questions.

Throughout her career, Meghan has been fiercely curious, open to new ideas and adventures, and successful at leveraging her natural talents to turn side hustles into full-time jobs. Facing another soul-sucking year working for a detached boss, in a dead-end job that lacked flexibility, she confided in a friend that she needed to make a move. She followed their advice and gave coaching a try.

Meghan wanted a fresh start and a new perspective on her career options. Since it had been a while since she was in the job market, she was unsure of where she could go, and what she could be doing. Beyond tuning up her resume, Meghan really needed a boost of authentic confidence before she was ready to speak up and promote herself. She thought about her work wish list - what she wants to do, what she might want to explore, and what she never wanted to do again. This exercise, detailed below, produced her unique What’s Next? Profile.

Meghan’s profile presented a clear picture of the work environments where she thrives: there are plenty of interesting problems to solve and creative people to collaborate with whether she’s on site or working from anywhere. The exercise gave her the confidence to write-up interesting stories about her past successes before interviews started popping-up in her calendar.

Once she decided to expand her search to include internal opportunities, she was stunned to discover a job at her organization that closely aligned with her “YES!” list and included a few things on her “MAYBE!” list. Most importantly, the things on her “NO!” list are easy to manage. She’s happy in a different department with a daily routine that doesn’t include a single “HELL NO!”.

Create your own What’s Next? Profile
Get ready to be honest with yourself and open up to the possibilities of trying new things and revisiting old passions and interests.

Here’s how it works: Grab a pen and 3 sheets of paper. Mark page one with “YES!”, another as “MAYBE!”, and the third with “NO!” Jot down your answers to the prompts below, and as your lists emerge, so will your profile.

Take your time, this is an exercise you’ll want to revisit. Good luck.

YES! At work, what do I genuinely enjoy doing? Who do I like being? What contributions do I like making? What are the specifics (environment – colleagues – compensation) that make a job the right fit for me, and why?
MAYBE! What’s on my wish list? What do I want to explore doing or to try again? What skills do I want to perfect? What other experiences am I looking for?
NO! What do I want to stop doing? Be brave! This list is likely to include things that you and other people expect of you, and often represent significant past investments and professional recognition. If you aren’t challenged, add it. Same, too, if it doesn’t play to your strengths and leaves you feeling anything but strong and powerful - jot it down. Use an asterisk (*) for each one that is a personal “HELL NO!”.

You did it! What does your What’s Next? Profile reveal about you?

If you want to hear, “You’re Hired!”, sooner than later, schedule an exploratory coaching session with Nancy.