You know, when I first left the corporate world, I thought I had it all figured out. I mean, after stints at places like AMC Networks, Macy's, CBS News, AccuWeather, Xerox... surely I'd seen it all, right? Wrong. Turns out, corporate life and the "real world" are about as similar as a shark and a goldfish. Both swim, sure... but you mess with the wrong one and you’ll definitely need a bigger boat!
But I’ll tell you what... the career transition was eye-opening in ways I couldn’t have imagined. Take, for instance, one of the most common questions people ask when they’re feeling stuck in their career: "What do I do next?"
And I get it... I’ve been there. You’re sitting in your cubicle, which might as well be a hamster wheel for all the running-in-place you’re doing, and you start asking yourself those big, existential questions: "Am I really passionate about selling weather forecasts?" Or, my personal favorite, "Why is Greg from Accounting always microwaving fish during lunch?"
The thing is, you want to figure out your next move before Greg’s next fish... because there are only so many Febreze sprays that can fix that situation. So let’s talk about three actionable tips—things I’ve learned from all my years bouncing between corporate boardrooms and career coaching sessions.
Tip #1: Identify Your Unique Zone of Genius
Alright, story time. Picture this: I’m working at Macy’s. Yes, Macy’s. I spent half my time staring at mannequins in a suit that cost more than my first car, and the other half in meetings where words like "synergy" and "KPIs" were thrown around like they actually meant something. One day, I walk into this meeting about "optimizing the customer journey." And someone says—and I kid you not—they say, "Let’s leverage the full potential of cross-functional stakeholder alignment."
...I leaned over to the person next to me and whispered, "Is that code for getting coffee with Cheryl in HR?" They didn’t laugh. That’s when I realized: I had a zone of genius, and that wasn’t it. My superpower was taking all that corporate mumbo jumbo and translating it into human-speak. That’s why I became a coach. It was my zone of genius... connecting people to their next big thing.
So ask yourself, what’s your genius? What’s that thing you do better than anyone else, without breaking a sweat? It’s not about what you’re "qualified" for—trust me, I’ve seen people with law degrees who are happiest working as stand-up comedians. It’s about what makes you come alive... and no, for Greg, that’s not microwaving fish.
Tip #2: Don’t Follow the Script, Write Your Own
Speaking of scripts, let’s talk about all those "career paths" we’ve been sold on. There’s this idea that you have to climb the corporate ladder rung by rung, just like you’re trying to escape from a pit of despair... or worse, a Monday morning budget meeting.
But I’ll let you in on a little secret... that ladder? It’s missing a few rungs. And sometimes, it’s made of Jell-O. Take me, for example. I didn’t climb a ladder; I rode the world’s weirdest rollercoaster. I’ve worked at weather companies where I couldn’t even pronounce half the meteorological terms, and then at Macy’s, where I had to pretend like I knew why scarves were suddenly a $2 million priority.
My point? Forget the script. Write your own. When I left my Director roles, I didn’t think, "Oh no, I’m abandoning my career!" No, I thought, "Oh good, now I can stop wearing ties and help other people figure out what the heck they’re doing!" You don’t have to follow anyone else’s path. Just because someone else thinks you should "stay the course" doesn’t mean you can’t pull a hard left and do something you’re actually excited about. Heck, I know a guy who left his corporate gig to become a professional board game designer... and he's crushing it.
Tip #3: Networking is Awkward, But So Is Life—Embrace It
Now let’s address the giant elephant in the room... networking. Ugh. Networking. It’s like getting a root canal while trying to juggle. We’ve all been there. You’re at some event, desperately trying to remember someone’s name while simultaneously wondering if it’s too soon to sneak out the back.
Let me tell you, I once walked up to the CEO of a company at a conference—because someone dared me to introduce myself—and confidently said, "Hey, I think we’ve met... are you John?" He wasn’t John. Not even close. His name was Frank, and he was very important. But you know what? That awkward moment? It turned into a great conversation. Frank appreciated that I had the guts to walk up and admit I had no clue who he was.
So, embrace the awkwardness. Everyone’s just as nervous as you are. And sometimes, those weird, uncomfortable moments turn into the best connections. I’ve helped clients land dream jobs at Fortune 500 companies, and they didn’t do it because they had the best resume in the room... they did it because they embraced the awkwardness and went for it.
...
Now, here's where I throw in the surprise twist. After years of working my way through corporate life and then helping thousands of professionals get where they want to go, you know what I’ve learned?
The most important career advice I can give you... is to not take career advice too seriously!
Wait, what? I can see some of you clutching your notepads in horror. But hear me out. It’s easy to get bogged down in all these rules, books, and frameworks, right? "Do this, don’t do that, wear this, say that, be more professional, no wait, be more authentic, be more of everything!" It’s enough to make your head spin like you’ve just gotten off the teacups at Disney World.
But life—and your career—isn’t some perfectly laid-out checklist. I spent years thinking I had to tick off every box, move up every rung, and fit into every mold... only to realize I had more fun—and way more success—when I stopped worrying about the rules and started trusting my gut. When I started helping other people do the same, that's when things really clicked.
So, yeah... you can read all the career books, take all the advice, and memorize all the acronyms like a corporate robot. But at the end of the day... the best parachute is the one you design yourself. One that’s built out of your own experiences, your own strengths, and—hopefully—a lot less corporate jargon.
So, next time you’re sitting in a meeting, wondering how you got there... or if that was actually your dream job notification, not just spam... remember: you’re not trapped on some path you didn’t choose. You can always take a leap, build your own parachute, and trust that, hey... the landing might just be better than you ever imagined.
And, you know... maybe steer clear of Greg’s lunch hour. Just a suggestion.
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