Do you feel like your career has hit a plateau? Are you exhausted from endless applications or waiting for recognition that never comes?
Instead of applying to hundreds of jobs or waiting for a career miracle, let’s get clear, strategic, and open to possibilities.
Two Common Mistakes: ‘Apply and Pray’ vs. ‘Wait and See’
As a career coach and recruiter, I’ve observed that many professionals follow one of two paths to advance their careers:
Apply and Pray: Applying to any role that vaguely matches their skills and previous responsibilities, resulting in hundreds of applications and, often, a similar number of rejections.
Wait and See: Working hard, hoping for a promotion or a tap on the shoulder. But hard work alone isn’t always noticed.
Both approaches lack strategy and drain one of your most valuable resources—time.
I recommend a multi-pronged approach comprised of clarity, strategy, and openness.
The Solution: The Path of Clarity, Strategy, and Openness
Embracing the path of clarity, strategy, and openness empowers you to move forward with purpose.
Clarity: Understand your goals and strengths, so you can target roles that truly fit.
Strategy: Take intentional, focused actions that guide you to align with your vision.
Openness: Be receptive to unexpected opportunities and insights along the way.
Together, these three elements help you stand out to recruiters and position yourself for long-term growth.
How to Build Clarity, Strategy, and Openness into Your Career Plan
Step 1: Prioritize Clarity
Before you begin your career elevation journey, you must be clear on who you are, how and where you do your best work, as well as your goals and their underlying motivations in order to ensure that you secure a well-aligned role. Ask yourself these key questions:
1. Who am I?
Explore assessments such as Myers Briggs and CliftonStrengths to gain valuable insights into your personality and strengths. You’ll also gain valuable insights by seeking feedback from trusted sources, including past managers and colleagues.
2. When did I feel most engaged and effective in my work?
Complete a career audit and reflect on your past roles—what brought you energy and results, and what left you drained or unfulfilled?
3. What environment do I need to thrive?
Reflect on the companies, cultures, and management styles where you’ve excelled. Which companies aligned best with your goals and values?
4. What are my goals and motivations?
Identify your goals and the underlying motivations powering your desire to make a career change.
Do you want a higher-level title, a more generous compensation package, improved well-being, a mission that lights you up, to have impact and make a difference, the growth and development that comes with a new challenge, or perhaps to experience a different mode of work?
Step 2: Be Strategic
Strategy is about knowing the requirements for your goal and creating actionable steps to reach it.
Research is key.
Learn about your target roles and connect with people who are either in the role or an adjacent role to get insider insight. Create a plan that incorporates this insight, leverages your strengths, and addresses areas where you need further growth.
Lean into your strengths: if you shine during in-person conversations, attend networking events; if you’re a strong writer, share insights on LinkedIn and industry group discussions; if you’re hands-on, start a passion project to illustrate your experience.
Track your progress and adapt as needed.
Being strategic positions you to stand out in a competitive landscape.
Step 3: Stay Open to Possibilities
Our goals and desires are shaped by our observations of the world and the information we gather from our experiences.
Possibilities beyond our wildest dreams do exist. If we focus too narrowly on our current plan, we might miss out on incredible opportunities that align even better with our skills and passions.
Thus, we must remain open to conversations, new information, and new possibilities. If an adjacent opportunity excites you, be curious enough to explore it.
Choose the Long Game
Remember, your career is a marathon, not a sprint.
Stay committed to your strategy, remain open to possibilities, and celebrate small wins. Like investments, intentional action pays off over time.
Your future self will thank you.
I hope you’re now inspired to take control of your career with both intention and openness.
Andrea
⭐ Looking to Elevate Your Career?
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👋 Meet Andrea
Hello! I’m Andrea, Founder of Bliss Careers. I’m passionate about transforming careers by aligning people with their true values and strengths. Through Bliss Careers, I help professionals elevate their job search strategies, boost confidence, and thrive in work and life by integrating mindfulness and self-care.
