With the world in flux, it’s easy to feel off-kilter and wonder if you’re on the right path. You might question if you’re making good choices, talking or listening to the “right” people, or on the yellow brick road to your career goals.
Some of us are struggling at work, some of us are struggling to find work, especially fulfilling and rewarding work. Some of us want work that makes a difference. Some of us aren’t sure what we want at the moment.
I ask all my guests on Electric Ladies Podcast – 490+ episodes of interviews with women leaders in energy, sustainability and climate – for career advice for mid-career women who want to make a difference, excel in their careers and make good money.
Here’s some career advice
Here’s some of the advice I heard from five accomplished women I spoke with recently in the midst of all this global, economic, political and cultural turmoil. They come from different industries, different perspectives and different roles.
Maybe there’s a nugget in here that shifts your perspective in a positive way, sheds light on a challenge you’re facing, or just brightens your day and helps you take a deep breath to move forward:
“Open the aperture”: “I think a lot of times people in their mid-career have a very specific idea of this ladder that they have and this path specific to either the next job they want, or if they want to be in an impact job, (they think) that impact job looks like X.
“And what I have learned is that there are lots of different types of jobs that make a direct difference, and there’s a lot of different types of jobs that can drive impact. And so, kind of the first thing is, open the aperture and have lots of conversations with a lot of different kinds of groups. …Shadow, (ask) ‘Do you need help with that project?’ Experience what it is for a little bit, get a taste of it. Maybe you won’t like it. Maybe you will love it, and then plant seeds early.”
