I Went To Career Counselling, And a Simple Lesson Saved Me From a Career Apocalypse
Sometimes all you need is a little nudge
In 2021, I fell flat on my face with my ecommerce ad agency and went to career counselling. I was clueless and burned out. I took a part-time job to get by and had no idea what to do next. My counsellor asked, “What do you love doing?”
“Good question,” I thought. I lifted my eyes towards the distant ceiling, silently rolling them back to her, and said, “I just love creating stuff.” We both knew it wasn’t specific enough. But it was a start.
She kept digging. I told her I love to work out, read random books on Amazon, and spend time in nature. Nothing seemed to matter.
Then, I blurted out, “I also love going out with friends for a beer. It’s awesome. We have tons of fun laughing and talking to girls”.
“See!” My counsellor jumped out of her chair and said, “That’s what I’m looking for! Your face lit up. That’s the energy you must follow”.
The idea was to let your passions guide you toward your life’s direction. Excitement leaves clues. Inner resistance is a red flag.
“What else do you love doing, Jonathan? What makes you feel as exciting as going out with friends?” I gave her more insights. “Okay,” my counsellor said. And how do you feel while you do those things?”
After thirty minutes, the topic of writing came up. I realized I’ve been writing my whole life but never took it “seriously”. My counsellor tilted her head in a robot-like manner, looked right at me, and said, “Why won’t you give writing a shot? Do it for the next two weeks.”
I did.
The random post which got 10k views
That day, I went home and wrote a Medium article. The headline said, “Life Lessons From 10 Years of Picking Up Girls in Bars.” It wasn’t my first Medium piece. I had written on Medium before but never gave it much thought. This time, I put effort into telling my story and sharing what I learned. I published the piece and forgot about the whole thing.
Two weeks later, I opened Medium again. I couldn’t believe it when my post got 10k views, almost 1000 claps and seven comments.
One comment said, “Very useful information.” Other readers mentioned, “Bars are trashy” and “This is not the lesson I expect, but thanks.”
I couldn’t be happier. The more I wrote, the more traction I got, and the more people emailed me complimenting my content. I was 31, and for the first time, I found something I could spend the rest of my life doing.
My first post fueled my desire to write more. I transitioned from a part-time to a full-time job and dedicated myself to writing every morning.
I experimented with different topics and discovered men love reading my dating articles.
It’s interesting how a little nudge in the right direction can improve your life. I didn’t become a millionaire, but now I can channel my creative energy somewhere productive. And the satisfaction it brings is worth a million times more.
Erickson’s Clif Bar
Gary Erickson was an avid cyclist who earned little money and lived hand-to-mouth. In 1991, he went for a 175-mile bike ride with his buddy Jay and realized how awful energy bars are. He’s already eaten five but couldn’t force down the sixth since he didn’t like the taste. That day, he sat out to create a delicious bar athletes could enjoy. He experimented with different recipes in his mom’s kitchen, and the Clif Bar was born.
In 2022, Gary sold the company for $2.9 billion.
If Gary had never gone on that bike ride, he might not had his epiphany about energy bars. His story is a great example of how doing what excites you can lead to a different, more fruitful career path. When you feel lost, a true passion for something can be your north star.
My first business failed since I didn’t make a lot of sales. But the more subtle reason was, I wasn’t in love with it. I felt tons of resistance, and prospects could sense that on calls. I tried to solve it with willpower, but it didn’t work, and I started doubting my abilities. “I’ll never be able to sell a damn thing.” “No one wants to work with me.” “This whole business stuff isn’t for me.”
My self-talk kept growing, and I called it quits.
When you’re lost, experiment
I studied IT at university. I enjoyed studying and writing code, but it felt too forced at some point. I wasn’t sure I was ready to go all in on that, so I went on job boards and looked for part-time roles. One ad said, “Junior Media Buyer position. No experience needed”. I was tired of random monthly jobs and told myself, why the heck not. It wasn’t an instant match, but marketing fascinated me way more than code.
In the book “Fail Fast, Fail Often”, authors Krumboltz and Babineaux say, “The easiest way to improve your life is to spend more time doing things that you enjoy.” At first glance, this advice might seem too general. But if you’re willing to follow your nose and experiment, I bet you’ll find a new career direction sooner than later. If you feel stuck, experiment with different things.
Here’s the trick: pick a skill you want to learn and stick with it for at least four months. Do not give up too soon. Give it a worthy shot to become something you can fall in love with. Immerse yourself in it. Study all the related sub-topics. Get a job doing that skill, or do it for free. Then, listen to your inner voice.
Conclusion
I think many young people feel lost these days. Epidemics, wars, economic crises, media brainwashing, and more keep us busy and frustrated. Following what excites keeps you sane. It gives you a bit of “me time.” It nourishes self-love. Combine it with the wonderful magic called the internet, and there’s a high chance you can make money from what you love, too.
Get my free book, “Life Lessons From Getting Rejected By Hundreds Of Women”
