Your job title does not define you

You may be a lawyer, engineer, or therapist by training. You may have master’s degrees or a PhD. You may have received awards and accolades for your leadership and impact to business growth. You are a high performer. You are driven, you love the feeling of a job well done, and you are energized knowing that you are having an impact in the world. 

On paper, you look one way. As you search for what’s next, you may be looking at job postings where you meet all the requirements and qualifications they are looking for. But deep down, you know that if you take that job that you seemingly are a great fit for, you will be miserable.

And here’s why: there is more to you that what you have captured on your resume or what is reflected in your job description.

Much more. Although you have held a particular job title that requires certain skills and experience, you have been showing up for work in a way that differentiates you from everyone else who might hold the same title. Each day you go to work, you bring with you more than just your skills and experience. You also bring what energizes and drains you, and what you believe about yourself, your work, and your team. Unpacking and articulating these key differentiators can provide strategic insights into who you are and what next career step will bring you deep satisfaction.

Let’s start with your energy. What energizes you? Maybe it’s the people you work with, or how you get to influence people above you and below you in your role. What drains you? You may be extremely good at project management, but the thought of spending the next 10 years evaluating the critical path to ensure timely delivery of your next IT iteration sounds completely draining. Whatever it is, make a list of both. 

Now look at the upcoming job description you are considering and hold it up to the list of the things that energize you and drain you. What do you notice? Does the job excite you? Does it offer many of the same aspects that are in your “energizes you” list? If not, pay attention. What is missing?

Next, what do you believe? What you believe impacts your approach to your work and shapes who you are. Do you believe your team deserves honest communication and transparent leadership? Do you believe people should be empowered in their jobs? Do you believe work should be fun? Make a list of your beliefs.

If you could draft a job description based on all the things you listed in your “energizes you” list and all the things in your beliefs list, what would it be? How would it read? Who would you be interacting with? What decisions would you influence? What would your day-to-day activities entail? What would success look like for that job? What impact would you have? What would your colleagues say about you?

After you have written this out as if it is a job description, chances are it looks a lot different from that job you thought you were qualified for. Maybe you have been a coach within an institution and realize you crave the commitment that private clients bring and want the challenge of entrepreneurship. Maybe you have been leading IT teams and want to influence team and organizational structure from a more strategic role. Maybe you have been in sales for a leading technology company and want to sell a product you believe in. These are three insights three of my clients have had for themselves.

What did you learn about yourself doing this exercise? And more importantly, what will you do about it? I’d love to know.