💬 100+ career chats later: My biggest takeaways on navigating uncertainty

Last week was a big week — I held my 100th Career River chat!

All in all, I ended up speaking to 50 people over the last several weeks. That means I’ve now held 106 Career River chats, learning about how people have approached moments of uncertainty or the unexpected during their careers. In true journalist fashion, I crossed that finish line right ahead of my (self-imposed) deadline.

I’ve so appreciated these conversations because they’ve given me the chance to learn more about what questions people have faced when it comes to navigating their careers, and to understand better how the Career River can offer concrete guidance and inspiration for the journey. In each chat, I asked these three questions:

• What questions would you have about navigating changes in one’s career?
• Tell me about a moment in your career where you were unclear on what to do next. What did you ultimately try and why?
• How were you thinking about progress at that time? Has your understanding of the type of progress you want to make in your career shifted at all?

I now have about 50 more posts to write, since every call gives me at least one idea, but today I’m going to share some of my top takeaways.

👂What I’ve heard from 100 Career River chats

The problem usually isn’t knowing what you want, but figuring out how to get there.

I was surprised that most of the people I talked to could very clearly say what they wanted out of their next career move. The challenge, it turns out, was finding a way to work toward that future. There were a lot of questions about, “what should I do next?” Often we’re putting ourselves under pressure to solve all our problems with one “right” move, usually by finding a new full-time job.

This is where I find the river delta idea helpful: not just one possible right move, but many possible routes to pursue. And you can always come back to the path you’re on now if needed. You can also work toward your possible future in small steps instead of immediately needing to take a big leap.

Once you’ve made a career switch, it’s easier to make other changes in the future.

This doesn’t only mean changing fields, but also applies to learning new skills and trying out a different kind of job. Those I talked to who already had made a change were more confident that they’d be able to change their course again if needed. However, for those who were considering moving outside their chosen field for the first time, there were a lot of questions about both how it would be perceived by hiring managers (will my resume even get considered?) and what it would mean for their identity (who am I if I’m not insert job title here?). From what I heard, the only way to answer those questions is to try it out.

We don’t talk about our professional struggles enough.

At least, not openly. Almost without exception, when I asked people what they wanted to ask me about what I’ve been learning, they wanted to know what others had been saying about their moments of uncertainty. Many people were relieved to know they weren’t alone in reaching a juncture where the next move wasn’t clear, and glad to hear that an emergent approach, figuring it out as you go, can still bring success.

Tributaries make a big impact.

Whether it was finding out about a job opening over margaritas with a friend or getting together with a group of job-seekers on Zoom during the pandemic, connections came up time and time again as one of the most valuable avenues for finding new career possibilities to pursue. This was also one of the biggest generational differences I uncovered — people earlier in their careers tended to approach networking as a necessary evil, if at all, while mid- and late-career people turned to their networks first when needing help.

Redefining progress changes everything.

Probably the biggest theme was that people were especially challenged by shifting circumstances. Whether it’s becoming a parent, getting a mortgage, taking care of a sick relative or making a big move, at some point work goals and personal needs can conflict. And at that moment, we’re left without a clear path. Do I set aside my career goals? If I do, will that set me back? How can I afford to be there for the people who need me? When we started examining different definitions of progress, many of these stresses melted away. It’s not only acceptable to reconsider your priorities as your circumstances shift, it’s adaptive. Add to that an experimental mindset for finding your next job, where the hiring manager’s response to what you offer is as much a test of their willingness to invest in an employee as it is a reflection of your hireability, and suddenly you feel more in control of the direction you want to take your career.

Thank you to everyone who generously shared their insights, experiences and questions with me. I’m leaving this chat sprint feeling energized and inspired to continue reporting on a more holistic framework for pursuing our careers. It’s OK not to have all the answers — it’s curiosity that allows us to explore around the next bend and see what’s possible.

Happy navigating, and thank you,
Bridget

AI disclosure: This post’s subject line was generated with input from Gemini.

P.S. Do you know anyone who’d want to contribute to my research? Feel free to send them the chat giveaway signup form, or sign up yourself!