Don't pivot. PILOT.

I'm feeling rebellious today. I'm ready to take on some of the most common career advice around. And before I put this out in public, I want you to get the first look at my latest Career River tool.

We've been told that we have to "pivot" to stay relevant. We've been told that we risk losing our relevance and getting left behind if we're not constantly reinventing ourselves and chasing the latest shiny object. (Pivot to video, anyone? 😩)

I say – pivoting without purpose is a trap. When you've built knowledge, expertise and authority through your work, you shouldn't need to beg for permission to show your worth.

Today belongs to the translators – the people who can stare down the biggest challenges and offer proven solutions. To help you make that shift right now, I've created a concrete manual for you. It's called the PILOT method.

The 5-min head start: PLUMB the depths, INTERPRET the challenge

Maybe, like me, you've used the STAR framework (Situation, Task, Action, Result) in job interviews. What it does, it does well – share what you did previously and what that accomplished.

But.

As today's world of work rapidly shifts, it's getting harder and harder to make the case to potential employers that what you did is the same as what they need you to do. That's where PILOT comes in.

Take 5 minutes to get started with the first two steps, designed to dive deeper into your past experience and what it can mean for today's problems:

1. PLUMB: Measure Your Depth. Identify one major “win” from your past. Look past the situation’s specifics to find the deeper problem: Who was panicking? What was at stake? What was the cost of doing nothing?
   
   The deep problem I solved was: 
   
   
   
   
2. INTERPRET: Find the Common Challenge. Look at how you solved that problem. What is one skill you used that you can reapply to situations that may look different on the surface, but share deeper connections? 
   
   My problem-solving superpower is: 
   
   

When you're ready to LOCALIZE, ORIENT and TRANSLATE to complete the framework, just use your personal template. You'll come away with a powerful message to send to potential employers: that your experience can be their solution.

You don't need to chase pivot after pivot to show your value. Chances are, you already have the tools for the job – you just need the right approach to make your case.

Happy navigating,
Bridget

P.S. Later today I'll be posting my anti-pivot credo on LinkedIn. Keep an eye out for my post – I'd love to see you share your superpowers in the comments!