Today I’m giving you permission to F.A.I.L. in your career. This permission slip gives you full rights to try on, test, experiment, play, and get curious about what’s possible in your career. This means you will not get it “right” the first time, and you will make mistakes or it will get messy along the way.
F.A.I.L. = First Attempt In Learning
Although I’ve heard this acronym before, it was a helpful reminder from a Peloton instructor, Becs Gentry, during a recent run. It made me think about how scary it is to try something for the first time. It’s not easy. We aren’t always that great, and often to get “good” at this new thing it takes time and practice.
This is the challenge when you start to explore your own career possibilities. There’s so many unknowns and uncertainties, and it can become quite overwhelming. So start small. Maybe you’re already career curious. Now’s the time to give it a try and take action towards Designing Your New Work Life!
Try Stuff: Move Beyond Theory to Application
You need to test things out. Stop thinking, reflecting, and planning — it’s time to ACT! Make plans to create, make, and do the things you’re thinking about for your future career self. Consider how you can try and fail at new ideas, practices, and ways of working. To make the change, you may need a trial period to experiment with the “what if?” and get into the experience of how want to work.
Need some ideas for where to start? Ask yourself these questions to learn what you will TRY or DO next:
What is one thing you’re going to explore?
What do you want to learn more about?
How can you try a new skill?
What things do you want to practice?
How can you grow and develop where you are now?
What small experiments can you create in your life/work?
If you’re going to say YES to a new way of working, what will you say NO to?
What is one easy thing you can to change about how you work right now?
I am curious career explorer. I’ve always wanted to know what drives people in their world of work, and what meaningful things are they doing in their lives.
A couple of years ago, I took my curiosity to embark on my own journey as a coach. I love partnering with clients who want to think deeply their “career” and how they impact others with their skills and talents.
This transformation work starts with space and time to talk about being a “professional.” In thinking about who you are, what got you here, and why you’re now questioning your career focus will help to provide insight and perspective into what’s going on. Welcome to the first part of career exploration — reflection.
Here are a few questions I ask my coaching clients before/when we meet:
What questions do you have about your career now?
How did you get here professionally?
What are you most proud of?
What excites you at work? In life?
What do you want to start doing?
What do you want to continue doing?
What do I want to stop doing?
What are the verbs or actions you enjoy doing at work?
How do you want to grow in your career?
Are you interested in creating the work and life you want to lead? Subscribe to my Substack at Careers By Design.
The pandemic, inflation, and changes in our economy, has brought about so many challenges and changes to our lives. As work is a huge piece of that life pie, how and where it happens matters. Over the past few years, we may have been pushed into new ways of working. And much to our surprise and expectations, we’ve gone beyond what we thought we could do. Some things were in our control, and in other aspects of our work lives we might have had little to no agency. But, what would happen if we had a choice? What if we just took a beat to think about possibilities? What opportunities do you envision for your future self? What if we imagined what our future work and life looked like?
Borrowed from one of my favorite podcasters/writers/people, Manoush Zomorodi and her ZigZag Pod, I drafted a “future self” visioning exercise for my coaching clients and teams. I want others to think about the “what ifs” and future life they want to lead — and work is a big part of that vision.
Let’s pause today to daydream about what life looks like on the horizon. Grab a pen and paper, open a new document on your desktop or start a new note on your phone — we are going to do some quiet reflective writing. You might want to close your eyes and listen to the prompts and questions in this Future Self Visualization, to help you imagine what lies ahead.
Future Self Visualization: Audio
Close your eyes and let’s picture yourself in the future. It’s exactly five years from now. It’s [insert MONTH] 2027. Imagine what your life is like. Picture what you WANT it to look like. We are going to walk through a typical work day. I want you to visualize what is happening, as I walk you through the following prompts and questions:
You wake up: How are you starting your day?
What’s the weather like?
What are you wearing?
Today you’re getting ready to go into the office for a team summit.
Where are you going?
How do you commute to work?
What do you do when you get there?
As you grab your favorite morning beverage to answer emails before the team meeting — you look around your office space. What does it look like? What do you notice?
Going back to your “to do” list — What will be 1 or 2 things you prioritize today?
Thinking about your role and the work you do: What is your job? What actions & verbs describe what you do?
What’s something surprising about the work you do?
What impact do you make in your organization?
You walk into the conference room to meet your team: How do you engage with your colleagues? What are you contributing to this meeting? What is your role on the team?
After some collaboration, discussion, brainstorming, and planning you end the day: What did you learn? What did you accomplish? What are you most proud of? What direction are you leading on this team?
As you leave the office, you decide to do something you enjoy before you head home: What is that? What fun things do you have planned? What activities are you involved in? If this activity involves others, who do you meet?
Now open your eyes and take 3-5 minutes to write down a few bullet points of what you just visualized about your future self. What was interesting to you? What did you learn?
What was interesting to you?
What did you learn?
What did you notice about your day?
What are the verbs or actions you found yourself thinking about doing at work?
What was interesting about your day?
What are the projects, problems, or initiatives you are working on?
What work activities and tasks make you feel alive?
What are you proud of?
Feel free to write, doodle, job down bullet points, and capture ALL your thoughts, ideas and answers to these questions/prompts. Just write and reflect for as long as you can remember what you thought about in this visualization. Save this for later — we will talk about what you discovered in our next coaching session. See you soon!
School was out for the summer. The last few months I designated as an intentional “break” to archive projects, wrap up research, draft/edit/re-submit manuscripts, and continue my own learning. The Fall/Spring terms are full-on with a large course loads, so this pause from instruction offered me some mental space to reflect on my professional practice. My career questioning had me reflecting on my own interests, talents, and support. Like others, I’ve been rethinking what professional success looks and what really constitutes meaningful work for me.
So, I spoke with a number of friends and peers in my professional learning network, to learn about their career changes, pivots, and moves. And, since I have a podcast (or two) and very gracious colleagues (who let me record these conversations), I decided to share what I was learning on the #InVinoFab podcast for a series called #CareerChangers back in 2019.
I’m so grateful for the candid sharing of their life experiences for me and the pod. I have no doubt that listeners (and maybe future listeners) will find these stories just as fruitful and interesting as I did. On #InVinoFab episode no. 44, I highlight my lessons I learned. Really, SO much more advice was offered — but I will let you listen and learn on your own. Here’s a quick preview of career changing advice:
Find organizations that will help you to learn, grow, and thrive. ~ Diane
Align your career with your personal and professional values. ~ @Kristin_Roe
Build your community and expand your connections to support. ~ @GoogleGuacamole
Be open to new opportunities, identify fit, and know this journey may not always direct. ~ @HRGore
Consider how your collaborations and creative ideas can shape your body of work. ~ @DrHelenKara
Assess, know, and play to your strengths to find ways to kindle your passions in work. ~ @ValerieHeruska
Reflect on the “things” (the verbs) you enjoy doing daily: activities, tasks, and projects. ~ @JaimieLHoffman
Always be learning and be a curious learner throughout your working life. ~ @Carol_Ed_Dev
This is just a slice. There was so much more I gleaned from these brilliant women (and many others) who let me bend their ear. I appreciate all of you who answered my questions, offered me professional advice, and provided me with insights to consider as I contemplate my career plans. Thanks y’all!
Beyond these informational interviews/conversations, I’ve been listening to and reading loads on the topic of career transitions/pivots. Here is my short list of podcasts and book recommendations, on the topic of career exploration/development, professional pathways, talent discovery, and what it means to get through this process:
Designing Your Life: Build a Life that Works for You by Bill Burnett & Dave Evans
Transitions: Making Sense of Life’s Changes by William Bridges
Reboot: Leadership and the Art of Growing Up by Jerry Colonna
Pivot: The Only Move that Matters is your Next One by Jenny Blake
With all this reflection/learning about careers, I thought I should mention…
I Quit My Job!
I decided to take a leap and I turned in my resignation in August. After spending 10 years at the University of North Texas, as a graduate student, staff, and faculty member (sometimes in a couple of roles, concurrently), I knew it was time to say goodbye. This end to a decade of work, did not come without all the feelings (good and bad); however, I thought it was time to make the move. Oh — did I mention I made this leap without the safety net of another job offer or another role lined up? This is true. Brave. Impressive. Stupid. What? These might be a few of the things going through your head (and mine) — but make no mistake, this decision was by choice and not just by chance. I am not lucky but rather being purposeful of what I do next — with the option to do so for once (i.e. no visa restrictions/requirements). p.s. If you email Laura.Pasquini@unt.edu — you are out of luck, as this address is gone. 🙂
The purpose of this career leap is to search, apply, and seek out a new professional experience to really excite and challenge me. Life is too short to “sort of” like what you do, as we spend a great chunk of our lives working. Since I gave my notice, I have a had an offer, negotiated for salary, turned down an offer, had discussions about another role to be created, and then some. I am not defecting from work. I don’t want to start my own business. Nor is this a move to ‘disrupt’ careers in higher ed. And, you will not find me outside your office window with my boombox protesting for a job reunion. All this, is to say:
“I am officially on the job market.”
I am looking for an organization where my skills and talents will be valued, and I can thrive in a thoughtful and creative culture. I am a solid multipotentialite who would be a perfect intrepreneur for any organization, if you are in need of a Laura-Of-All-Trades related to learning design, research, training, performance, and creative works. I know that I thrive in a multifaceted role that offers some agility and growth. And, I definitely want to be part of a collective that is seeking to improve the status quo and loves to have a curious learner around to think about things a bit differently. My future professional role is not industry-specific, nor does it require any set location.
I smiled a bit when I heard the Overcoats song called ‘The Fool’ as I could identify with the sentiments and purpose of this song’s goal towards new beginnings:
JJ Mitchell (of the Overcoats) described how their song ‘The Fool’ (song) is similar to the tarot card: “It signifies taking a leap of faith and jumping into the unknown. Conceptually, it felt like the beginning of the project. We wiped the slate clean and decided to jump. That’s why the video includes the footage of us shaving our heads. We’re ‘The Fool’, and we’re taking our leap.”
For now, this “fool” is has leaped and is around and open to the possibilities. What are you thinking about your world of work these days? Are there potential career opportunities I should consider? What questions/emotions/thoughts are you contemplating about your own career path and professional life? Feel free to reach out, I’ve got nothing but time – let’s connect!
Most people want to be satisfied and fulfilled by their work. What we do for work and thinking about our career is a central focus for most of my learners, colleagues, friends, and family. And why not? Our jobs take up our time, focus our priorities, or at least have our attention — as we spend an average of 13 years of our life at work. Asking individuals to find their “career callings” is a stressful task. How can you find great work you love, when really you need a job to be functional, realistic, and something you can obtain? Finding a “job you love” may not pay the bills, support your needs, and be something you can do at the moment. Work can be fun, but not all work is. And, sometimes a job is just a job — it might be a job to support yourself and family, that is in the right geographic location, be the first step in your career, or just something you’re doing right now while you try to figure out the next steps to take in your professional life.
That being said, many people seek meaning and purpose in their world of work. Which might be something that may never happen. Maybe we’re putting too much emphasis on this job fulfillment. Whether it is millennial burnout or workism as our professional identity, there seems to be no shortage of folks discussing and writing about the topic careers and work life these days. I appreciated how Elizabeth Gilbert breaks down how we think about our careers in a Hello Monday interview, specifically how we might confuse these four aspects of our life when it comes to reflecting on our work life:
Hobby: Is something you do because you enjoy it and you don’t need anything back for it. It’s fun and you delight in it.
Job: A thing you have because everyone has to have one. It doesn’t need to fulfill your emotional needs because it’s there to pay the bills and you have a life outside your job that is more interesting (e.g. family, hobbies, pursuits, etc.)
Career: Should be something you are passionate about (mostly). A career is a job that you deeply care about.
Vocation: A sacred calling of something that is very holy to you that is the center of your life that can never be taken away from you no matter what.
This framework presents ideas around careers vs. callings, specifically outlining what you do and how you do. In the span of your work life, you might find yourself in anyone or all four of these areas to find fulfillment OR to support your career planning. Listen to the full podcast episode HERE.
Sometimes how we craft our work and leisure time leaves many professional unsatisfied by not answering their career callings and leading to professional regret (Berg, Grant, & Johnson, 2010). This synopsis by Gilbert is not entirely wrong. Our job attitudes and meaning-making at work is highly predictive of how individuals thrive and contribute to their organizations of employment (Wrzesniewski, 2003), specifically when job crafting in service of purpose is encouraged and supports the well-being of the employee (Tims, Bakker, & Derks, 2013). Each semester I teach a course in personal/professional development, where my learners go through modules to figure out their own trajectory for their academic and career path. Some are first-generation, first time in college students; whereas others have years of experience in their profession and are looking to finish a 4-year degree to advance, transition to a new career, and more. I know that identifying career callings and directions are challenging. So I typically do NOT give the traditional advice to “find your passion.” I think passions are often developed and created as we gain employment experience, learn more about ourselves, and find opportunities for discovery in the wold of work.
“Follow your passion” is bad advice: it leads to tunnel vision, discouraging us from exploring new areas.
Passion isn’t a fixed interest waiting to be discovered. It’s something to develop and cultivate. https://t.co/AtH7vwBSzq
What will your future work self look like? Do you know what you want to be doing? What can you do now to get you there? Your first job might not make you happy or your next career move might not be your “dream job” — but what will help you learn, grow and enhance YOU for the next step in your professional life? How can you develop your talents and build upon your skills, interest, and abilities? These are the questions I pose to my learners each semester. That is, to really think about what drives you into action and to identify how to these interests to individual skills and talents for work.
In studying unconventional career paths of “dark horses,” Rose and Ogas (2018) found that the pursuit of fulfillment requires work:
“Following your passion takes little effort. Engineering your passion, on the other hand, is a more serious undertaking. It requires that you diligently pursue a deeper understanding of yourself. Engineering passion is hard work-but the benefits are enormous” (pp. 76-77).
I think we all could put more effort into designing and building the career we want. Passion might be part of it, or we might decide this passion is something we do alongside our work life. There is no one standard formula for how our hobby, job, career, and calling exist with one another. Here are a few big questions to consider if you want to start engineering your career passion to create a fulfilling work experience and to support your future work self:
Legacy:
Where do you want to make a difference in the world?
What do you want to leave behind?
How can you start moving towards these goals?
Would your 10-year-old self be proud of what you are doing?
Mastery:
What sort of actions/skills put you into a state of flow?
What is something you can focus on for hours?. e.g. you might forget to eat, lose sleep, etc.
What knowledge, skills, or abilities do you want to learn?
What ways are you challenging yourself to actively improve, practice, or develop?
Action:
What are you doing (or not doing) today to move your career goals forward?
How are you honing your optimal skills and talents for the next job or career transition?
What ways are you making time to grow and develop your future work self now?
Who might you reach out to to support/advise/mentor with your career development in your organization, industry, and/or professional field?
References:
Berg, J. M., Grant, A. M., & Johnson, V. (2010). When callings are calling: Crafting work and leisure in pursuit of unanswered occupational callings. Organization Science, 21(5), 973-994.
Rose, T., & Ogas, O. (2018). Dark horse: Achieving success through the pursuit of fulfillment. HarperOne.
Tims, M., Bakker, A. B., & Derks, D. (2013). The impact of job crafting on job demands, job resources, and well-being. Journal of Occupational Health Psychology, 18(2), 230-240.
Wrzesniewski, A. (2003). Finding positive meaning in work. In K. Cameron & J. Dutton (eds.) Positive organizational scholarship: Foundations of a new discipline, Berrett-Koehler Publishers, pp. 296-308.
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