Brian Stern

Research possibilities and options beyond specific opportunities. Once you've defined your goals, look for others that have achieved similar goals. They may be in jobs, industries, careers that you have never considered. Connect with these people, be curious, ask them questions about their journey. This kind of research may lead you to unexpected opportunities.

Too many times when asked to define our goals, we immediately apply the lens of a job to those aspirations. We need to think broader and start at a higher level. Not all goals are best met through working for someone else. Design your goals around your desired income, the lifestyle you want lead, the long term wealth/equity you want to build. Focusing on the higher level outcomes may push you to explore avenues beyond the traditional job market. You may find that building something for yourself, being an entrepreneur could be the right career choice for you. Don't be confined by traditional expectations. Be curious and ambitious. Your goals and your journey are very personal. Define your path, don't let the path define you.

While it's critical to assess values, interests and skills, I find it just as important to gain clarity around goals. Opportunities should be assessed based on their ability to help our clients achieve both their professional and personal goals. Goal setting in service of income, lifestyle, skill/ knowledge growth, professional advancement as well as long term wealth and equity desires will help define the right path forward. Many times candidates assess roles in terms of short term outputs without enough thought given to long term outcomes. I've found this short term thinking typically puts the candidate right back where they started, looking for another role in a relatively short period of time.

Too many people make career decisions based on what they feel or think is the right fit. The goal is get them beyond feeling or thinking about their next role. The goal is to KNOW if an opportunity is right for them. The way to know if an option is the right one is to be open minded and curious. Don't be afraid to ask difficult questions. Ask about both outputs and outcomes. What are the day to day outputs they need to invest in a role and what are the likely outcomes. Do the outputs align with their values, skills and interests? Are they willing to commit to those outputs? And if they do, will the outcomes align with their professional and personal goals? By answering these questions, they go beyond thinking and feeling to knowing.

The key to exploring options is to keep an open mind. Too many people focus on hard skills as a primary qualifier. The truth is, hard skills can be taught to anyone with ambition and curiosity. Soft skills are what make people successful is most roles. Learning how to work with and manage people and clients is critical. Proper delegation and deployment of resources are what move the needle in any business. Active listening to understand challenges and find solutions is a far more transferable skill than any specific hard skill. The more seasoned and experienced they are, the more their soft skills have been developed and sharpened. Don't be afraid to flex those soft skills and expand their career search into new and unexpected places.

I do think a personal assessment of values, interests and skills is critically important. However, I'd suggest it is equally as important to gain clarity around their professional and personal goals. You may find a great opportunity that aligns with their values, interest and skills, but if it does not provide a clear path to achieving their goals then it is not the right fit for them. Take stock of what they want and what they don't want for your future. Their next career move should be the vehicle to get you to their desired future. Their skills, interests and values are what help them drive that vehicle.