Calling all career changers!!!

If you’re reading this, I know you’re not here to settle.

Your goal is to build a career you’re excited to wake up for. One that leverages your talents, challenges you to grow, gives you freedom to live your best life, and pays you more than comfortably.

Why? So you can say yes to any trip with friends, give your (future) kids the best opportunities, and rest easy on Friday after work — knowing you're making a positive impact in the world. Obviously.

Yeah Katy, sounds great. But the tricky right now is how do you actually LAND a new job you’re excited about in this market?!

Keep reading and I’ll tell you.

I could spit resume tweaking hacks and interview questions to prep for but you can find those in a Google search in a heartbeat. And they're not going to get you the job.

None of the LinkedIn gurus emphasize this:

Your commitment and belief are big parts of the equation.

I can give you the exact strategy that's helped every single one of my clients make career transitions, BUT it won't matter if you aren't committed to your goal or lack belief in your ability to make it happen.

After pivoting my career, advising 100+ recruiting teams on hiring, and helping my coaching clients navigate this crazy market, I’ve dialed in how to accelerate career transitions.

It involves getting crystal clear on what you want, committing to that goal, believing it's possible, and taking aligned action to make it happen.

If you're ready to make a career transition toward work you want to wake up for on Mondays, this is for you.

9 steps to make an aligned career transition

1. Get to know yourself

You cannot create an aligned career unless you get in touch with yourself. The world is designed to distract you, so carve out some time to get quiet.

Reflect on your life:

• What do you want to be known for when you’re 80?
• What future do you imagine in 5 years?
• What do you hope life is like 1 year from now?

Then, consider what drives you, what drains you, what you’re curious about, and where you find flow. Identify your superpowers too. Learn who you are without all of the titles and identities you’ve adopted over the years.

Look for congruence to identify your career vision and qualifications.

Skip this step and you’re likely to end up out of alignment… which leads straight to burnout.

2. Clarify your intentions for your next chapter

Once you have an idea of your vision, identify a near term goal that will help you get there. Make sure to clearly identify the non-negotiables, nice-to-haves, and must-avoid elements of your next career chapter.

It’s normal to have tons of ideas about what could be next (especially if you're a multi-passionate generalist). Your mission is to narrow down your hypotheses through research and conversations to figure out where you want to focus.

Get as specific about “what’s next” as possible — down to the role, company stage, industry sector, salary / benefits requirements. If you can’t identify sample target companies, get more specific.

3. Commit to your “what’s next” goal

Use this commitment as a filter for what is a “yes” vs. “no”. Without a filter, you’ll spin your wheels, stuck in motion without progress. It’s all too easy to fall victim to shiny object syndrome.

This waffling is what causes career transitions to extend from months to years. It also makes it nearly impossible to stand out as the best fit for any one type of role when you’re trying to be a match for multiple.

4. Rewrite your past stories

It’s difficult to stay committed to your vision, if you’re constantly questioning yourself.

Most people are hauling around old stories about what they’re capable of — often stories that result from a bad manager, experiencing a layoff, a parent’s harsh tone, or feeling rejected sometime in the past.

It’s critical to examine these stories that are holding you back so you can reframe them.

• Did burning out of your role mean you couldn’t handle the pressure or were you simply not supported by the work environment and lacking boundaries?
• Does quitting that job after 3 months really mean no employer would ever understand?
• Was that toxic manager right about your performance or could they have been completely misguided and projecting their own insecurities?
• Does the layoff really negate all of your past work accomplishments and skills or was it simply an opportunity to get more clear about the value you bring beyond a specific title?
• Is it all that crazy to imagine you could thrive in the new role, industry, or company stage given all the times you’ve learned new things in the past?

5. Create a compelling narrative

Once you drop those old stories, it becomes much easier to craft a new story for your career.

Connect your past, present, and future with a compelling 2 min elevator pitch. Emphasize only the parts of your past experience that align with your future goals.

This narrative becomes your positioning — and the foundation for all of your communications. It's not just a conversation starter, it does the heavy lifting on explaining who you are, where you're headed, and why you're qualified.

Would it be helpful to share a full breakdown of this in another newsletter? Let me know.

6. Reflect it in your personal brand

Your personal brand already exists… and most likely, it’s tying you to whatever your last job and company was. It’s up to you to shape how you want to be perceived going forward.

Reflect your narrative on LinkedIn because it’s your public landing page. It’s the first place people go to validate who you are — and it ranks highly in SEO, so a Google search brings up your LinkedIn profile quickly.

Clarify the type of problems you solve, for whom (what type of leaders or companies), your results, and what makes you unique.

You’ll also want to translate this story into every outreach note you send...

7. Run a stand out strategy

Dropping your resume and hoping for the best is not an effective strategy, especially if you’re making any type of career pivot.

Stop blending in with the masses and start standing OUT for your ideas. Take action as your future self who's got it figured out to further align your personal brand with your next chapter.

Here are some ideas:

• Engage with target contacts. Get in touch with those who work in your target roles at target companies. Connect with industry insiders too. Always give before you take. For more network-building tips, check out this newsletter.​
• Set up informational interviews. Share your narrative and learn more about their career path and current challenges. Request intros to others in their network at the end.
• Show how you can solve the company’s problems. Determine how you are the solution to the company’s problems. Document your ideas, rationale, and possible next steps in a deliverable.
• Get your ideas in front of the decision-maker. Get feedback from your informational interview contacts. Send directly to the hiring manager via email or network your way into a call with them. Get creative on ways to stand out!
• Write about your best career stories on LinkedIn. Share lessons, your current POV, and personal stories. Get eyes on that gorgeous profile you made. The biggest benefit of writing? Clarify your own perspective.

I could give you strategy tips all day long, but if you don’t bring the right energy and belief to the process, the strategy will fall flat. It’s not just about what you do, it’s how you do it.

8. Bring your best energy and maintain belief

Your best energy comes from maintaining a positive mindset, trusting the process, and filling your cup first.

Your career transition is NOT the time to let everything you love in life fall to the wayside to doom-scroll LinkedIn and refresh your email 100x per day. It’s actually more important than ever to optimize your time for your energy.

Because every conversation, message sent, and interaction is an energy exchange.

Be one of those people who brings your best, authentic self and you will be magnetic. You’ll begin to attract dream opportunities that seemingly fall from the sky.

9. Stay persistent and enjoy the journey

When you have a clear objective, a dialed in story, the right mindset, a strategic approach to relationship-building, unique ideas, and bring your best energy — you’re on the right path.

Remain persistent and focused on your vision.

Transitions are challenging times. It’s important to find ways to enjoy the journey.

You accelerate your path to what you want when you’re having fun along the way.

There you have it. This is the process to transition to a career you love.

Here's where I've seen people struggle most:

• Getting clear on their next step & staying committed when it gets tough
• Crafting a clear narrative that actually positions them successfully
• Feeling confident taking the bold actions required to get noticed
• Beating self-doubt, procrastination, and overthinking
• Maintaining a growth mindset & positive energy

I struggled with ALL OF THESE when I was transitioning. It took me over 6 months to change careers as a result.

So I built the group program I wish I had 4 years ago to accelerate the process.

If you're ready to get clarity on your professional path and confidently transition to what's next alongside other mid-career high achievers with all the guidance and support you could need, you're right on time. Learn more about The Purposeful Path Accelerator here. We’re enrolling founding members now.

Talk soon,