I Reached My Dream Job… Now What?

There are many words to describe these last few years. Mine is reflective.

From COVID-19 to the uprisings in social justice, it was as if the world was set on “pause”. The entire human workplace paradigm shifted for almost all W2-workers. Many found themselves trying to figure out “working from home” while others reflected on the “why” in life; some for the first time.

This trend was especially noticeable in the lives of Tech professionals. Many Tech employees started realizing they needed more out of their employer. Many wanted a workplace that was value driven, provided meaningful work, presented the ability to be creative, and, of course, offered competitive compensation. They spent time critically reflecting on their employer’s ultimate vision and ultimately their own individual career pathways.

As a result, we saw another type of “pandemic” occur. One we call “The Great Resignation”. In 2021, it was reported that approximately 4.3 million employees quit their jobs and nearly 72% of tech employees considered quitting within the year. The reasons for why are endless, but many involve the need for work/life balance, improved compensation and/or the interest in simply trading in the traditional 9–5 in favor of more fulfilling work opportunities.

On that same note, Tech companies also seemed to have held a mirror to themselves as they thought critically through their “why”. Especially with a looming recession, we’ve unfortunately seen an increase in Tech layoffs with at least 143 US Tech companies laying off more than 24,000 individuals in this year alone (and many others slowing hiring processes).

As a response to such reflection and change, there has been hope! We’ve seen an influx of career development services offerings to help individuals land their next job. However, what’s not being spoken about enough is that all career development services are not created equal. While current and former employers are figuring out their next steps, it is important to note that there is a critical difference between “ job searching” vs “career mapping”.

“Job Searching” is tactical. I would describe it as the process that involves the content needed to gain employment. Such content includes but not limited to:

• Interview preparation/mock interviews
• Linkedin critiques/reviews
• Resume review/design
• Branding (maybe)

While this content is essential to gain employment, it is arguably a smaller (and potentially less effective) piece within the broader career strategy. In other words, these factors can get you in the door of your next or even “dream” job…but now what?

As a Career Development Consultant and Coach, the “now what?” question is one of the most frequently asked questions when working with clients. It usually pops up whenever a person is in an exciting role but just like with most things that we do in life, their interests change. As a result, they are stuck without direction; trying to figure out what the “now what” looks like. This is why, I’d argue, “Career Mapping” is a more effective tool when evaluating those next steps in a career.

“Career Mapping” is strategic. I’d argue it is kin to “job searching” but the biggest difference is that it takes a holistic approach to one’s future meaning of employment. Career mapping doesn’t only focus on the role itself but strategically considers how the role fits into the bigger picture of one’s ultimate mission (intrinsic values), personal goals (i.e.family planning) and the various options that exist if one happens to lose interest in their “dream” job

Additionally, when leveraging the right coach, career mapping is useful to proactively contextualize where one is in their career journey and where they want to go. They can help build a roadmap of sorts that can even be a reference point even after one has achieved that “dream”. The career mapping process provides the opportunity to:

• Align on career and personal goals
• Consider multiple pathways to secure your dream job and evaluate options when/if a role no longer interest you
• Leverage your employer (income) to fuel endeavors outside of work
• Maximize earning potential. This is important because, according to intuit.com, “maximizing your earning potential will allow you not only more financial freedom, but also an opportunity to better budget and save for big life purchases such as a home, saving for your children’s college tuition, or keeping money safe in an emergency fund.”

So, if you’re like one of the 4.3 million people who are in this reflective period and are taking a critical look at your career (such as myself and many of my clients), always remember the differences between job searching and career mapping. Job searching is a more tactical approach, whereas career mapping is more strategic.

Furthermore, once you’ve identified that job (even if it is your dream job), ask yourself, how does this job fit within the bigger picture? How will it support my mission as an individual? How will it fuel my endeavors outside of work?

Sometimes it’s not about climbing the corporate ladder to the fancy or well-deserved title such as VP or Director. Sometimes, it’s about the strategic approach to support a holistic and fulfilling life.

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