Hello there and welcome back to the awfully quiet podcast. Today's episode is going to get a little personal. Lately, I have been reflecting on something that I think a lot of us can relate to. And it's what happens when you finally reach what you thought was your dream job, but the next steps ahead Don't quite feel right.

Have you ever had that moment where you look at your career path and think, is this really what I want next? Now, if that sounds familiar, then this episode is definitely for you. We're diving into what happened in my recent career conversation and how it gave me some surprising clarity about what I truly want moving forward.

I'm excited to share this story with you because I think it'll resonate with anyone who's feeling a little uncertain about the next steps in their career. Now, before we jump in, I want to ask a quick favor. If you enjoy this episode or find it helpful, I'd love for you to rate, comment, and subscribe. And review the podcast.

It really helps us grow and reach more people who need to hear these conversations. And if you're out on a walk listening right now, which by the way, is my favorite way to listen to podcasts, take a screenshot, tag us on Instagram at awfully quiet podcast, and let us know your thoughts. I always love hearing from you.

I love interacting with you and it means the world to me. Now grab your headphones, get comfy or walking and let's dive into today's episode.

Okay, so here's where I'm at right now. I've reached a point in my career where I'm in what I'd always considered my dream job. And honestly, getting here felt like a huge accomplishment. And I had worked hard, I've made sacrifices and really pushed myself to lend this role. It's one of those milestones that just made me feel like, it sounds cheesy, but it made me feel like I made it.

But once I had settled into the job, I started thinking about what's next. And I'm sure some of you can relate. You hit a major goal and then instead of just basking in it, your mind immediately starts asking, okay, What's the next move? And when I looked at the roles ahead of me, something felt off. I saw my boss's job and then the jobs beyond that, and I couldn't shake this feeling that I didn't really want that.

That path didn't excite me the way my current role had. Didn't quite motivate me in the way That I wanted to achieve this brand manager role. And then recently I had a career conversation with one of my senior leaders and it was a really positive conversation and they were excited about my progress.

And somehow we got to talking about my next best move and what I'd want to do in the future. And they shared their perspective of what they thought I should do. They had this vision for me and. Honestly, it made a lot of sense from their perspective. It was in a way very similar to the journey they had been on, but it did include a little bit of a sidestep for me to build some breath in the future.

Or what they were saying is that so far I had. excellent experience in building brands. And in order to move into, you know, my potential boss's position or the jobs beyond that, I would need to also have a business building experience. And as I listened to them lay that out, it didn't click instantly. I just felt like something wasn't quite right.

I realized that this pause they were They were mapping out. A lot of it was true. They weren't wrong. They had my growth in mind and they were giving me the right advice from where they were standing. But in that moment, I just felt like that wasn't the direction I wanted to go. And I've had, I've done similar things like that in the past, and I've been at similar points in my career in the past where I wanted to go somewhere.

And then I was being given advice to first build some breath and to first have some more, some broader experiences before moving up, because obviously it's going to help you in the long run and from a mere career perspective and from a corporate environment perspective, that is absolutely true. That's absolutely what you should do.

But for me, in this instance, and where I'm at in my career right now, it just didn't excite me. This time it was different. And, , here's the thing. So I am usually a very mentally driven person. I'm, I'm a lot in my head. I'm not so much in my body. And this also has to do with my, human design. So every once in a while I get a visceral reaction.

I get a, I can feel things in my body and it's not very common. , and it's usually whenever someone comes in with a strong opinion or reason why I shouldn't or can't do something. And that's when everything becomes crystal clear for me. And most of the time I want the exact opposite of what they're suggesting.

And that's exactly what happened in this career conversation. I left feeling a little down and I couldn't quite figure out why, but after some thought I realized it's because the path that they were suggesting, it wasn't what I choose for myself. It was, it somehow felt like it was all mapped out for me, the perfect career trajectory.

And I didn't get to decide where I wanted to go next. And. That's what didn't sit quite right with me. And I want to talk a little bit more about that projector personality. , if you're into human design, you might know what I'm talking about. Projectors can sometimes feel like they're in a kind of limbo until someone else gives them input and then boom, they get this sudden, almost rebellious clarity.

And for me, I was sitting there open to whatever my next step might be, because honestly, I had already achieved what I thought I always wanted. And my next move is not around the corner. This is future thinking here. But the minute someone told me. that they had thought, what they thought my next move should be, it was a light bulb went off.

That's not what I want. I knew instantly that this mapped out career path, it wasn't for me. And I realized that this next step they were suggesting, this perfectly laid out checkbox type career path, it's just not what I'm after. And you know what? And this isn't the first time I've gone against the traditional route, but somehow I'm always kind of hesitant to do it.

I've done it before and it's brought me exactly where I am today. So I want to touch on that a little bit. Like the, the problem with traditional career path and anyone like me, I'm, you know, I'm not too sure this is just because I'm introverted, but I'm always seeking for. Different for unconventional and I'm, I'm not your traditional career path, girly.

I just got to say this. And here's the thing,

most of us, and especially in the corporate world are still taught to follow a certain career trajectory. You hit one milestone, then another. And eventually you climbed the ladder to the top. But for some of us. That path feels suffocating. It's like every step is just another tick in the box, another hoop to jump through on that journey.

And at one point in my career, I did buy into that and I did what I was quote unquote supposed to do. But then at some point, and especially now that I'm in my thirties, I'm just like, screw that.

I feel like, I feel like, you know, I feel like recently life is too short and obviously I'm the beginning of my thirties. I'm 33 now. Obviously I have most of my career still ahead of me. And I also buy into the concept of, you know, there is something right about career paths and like building breath and building experiences before going into higher level or senior leadership positions.

But, Now that I know myself a little bit better, and now that I almost have 10 years into my corporate career, I also know that there is another big factor for me to consider, and that is my own personal motivation, my personality, and knowing how I thrive. And I thrive when I feel like I am filling shoes that are still a little bit too big for me.

I still don't know whether that's just a German saying or whether that's, , something that you resonate with worldwide, but it's almost like I need that stretch. I need to be thrown into cold water in order to thrive. I need to go into positions that feel a little bit too big for me that feel like, really exciting.

Like I'm taking something on that Is a challenge that is something that I want to become really good at that motivates me, that inspires me. That's what really gets me going. And I've done sidesteps in the past where. I've had a learning curve at the beginning, but then it dropped off dramatically. And then I felt really, really bad having to stay in that position because time and role, but not really learning, not really growing.

And this might not be the same for everyone, but this is just something that I know about myself now in my thirties. And this is why I only want to do roles in the future that feel like these big shoes to fill that feel really exciting that somebody takes a leap of faith in me. It's not somebody just kind of lays out, you know what, I think this is what your next move should be.

This is the sensible thing to do in order to build that breath in order to gain this experience that you need in order to then achieve the next role and the next role. No, I want somebody to come with a challenge and say, look, This is a little bit too big for you, but I trust that you can do it. I trust that you can grow into it and I trust that you can thrive.

Sign me up. That's what I want. That's for me. That's the type of thing that excites me. So I will always keep questioning traditional career path. And I would love for you to do the same thing whenever you are Whenever you are given advice like that, whenever you are given feedback like that in a career conversation, this tends to happen in career conversations.

You get advice, you get somebody else's opinion, and that's what it should be. But I want you to feel empowered to challenge that, to question that, and to always tune into yourself, to really feel into. What is it that you want? How do you feel about that prospect of this position? They're talking about that next potential next move.

And if something feels off, I want you to, you know, to, to, to tune into that. You don't have to say it then and there, I didn't say it then and there, but just kind of go away, think about it and then voice it in the next conversation that you have. Now, what is the key takeaway here firstly, and this is pretty straightforward.

Having these career conversations is super valuable. Even if you don't hear what you want to hear, they always leave you with more clarity than you had before. It helps you figure out what you want, what you don't want. And sometimes what you don't want is just as important as knowing what you do want.

So have them, do not shy away from them, be proactive about them. Second, Be very careful whose advice you take. Now this might sound a little harsh, but you don't have to follow the advice of everybody who is senior to you in your workplace. Instead, I want you to seek out the people you genuinely admire.

The ones whose careers or lives inspire you. Take their advice to heart, because it aligns with where you actually want to go. And third, don't feel like you need to stick to the traditional path. You don't have to follow the standard route to success, especially if it doesn't light you up. Now, I have told you this.

I'm at a point in my life where I'm too old to waste my time on ticks in the box experiences. I want you to trust your gut and follow what feels right for you. And finally, stand firm in what you want. Do not let anyone make you feel unsure or lost. You know, this thing of just kind of being lost and especially in these career conversations, there's always a lot of pressure on knowing what it is that you want, and there's a lot of truth behind that, because if you just go into these career conversations and tell them, you know, I don't really know what I want, I'm not really sure.

That's not going to help you because it doesn't help them help you. It doesn't give them anything to work with. If you're not exactly sure of the next position that you want, you can still give them a direction that you want to go into. You can still give them layout experiences that you're looking for.

Layout skills. or strengths that you want to build. There's always something tangible that you can give them. And it's so much more powerful than to just shrug your shoulders and say, you know what, I'm not really sure yet. I want you to be bold and clear about your desires. Even if they're complete opposites of what's expected.

Now, if what they say doesn't resonate with you and you have a completely different path in mind, still say that voice, that the clearer you are about your own path, about what you want to do and what you don't want to do, the easier it becomes to navigate your career on your terms, the easier it becomes.

for them to help you.

And that's what I wanted to cover today. And that's what I wanted to leave you with today. I really hope this story resonates with some of you who might be at a similar crossroads in their career. And my biggest advice, question the paths that are laid out for you. Trust your gut and surround yourself with people who inspire the kind of future you actually want.

And Hey, before you go. Make sure you hit subscribe if you haven't already so you don't miss on future episodes and if today's conversation hit home for you, share it with a friend who might need to hear it too. I would really love that. And as always, thank you for tuning in today, and I'll see you next Tuesday.