Cover of book by Anika Aldamuy Denise and Lucy Ruth Cummins
I’ve been helping clients build mission-driven executive and engineering teams, and helping friends find the best new opportunities for twenty-four years, which is a bit mind-bending.
What’s even more mind-bending is the lack of clarity and even ‘resigned-to-whatever-may-come’ approach with which so many engineers and execs approach their searches.
The ‘system’ seems to have beaten down these seasoned veterans to the point that the best folks can come up with when beginning a search is “I don’t know- I just want a good team to work with and a good culture”.
It’s a decent starting point, to not want to be in a burnout-culture but YOU DESERVE SO MUCH MORE if you’re going to spend so much of your waking life at work!
Dig deeper. Please. Treat any transition as an opportunity to step into something that lights you up!
Of course I recognize people have bills to pay and not everyone has the luxury of time, but many do…and my suggestion is to really listen to your intuition about what might be most exciting.
As you may recall, my mantra for those on the hunt for something new is “I don’t give a shit who’s hiring, figure out where you BELONG”
If you are in transition, or are considering one here are some ideas that may help;
- SLOW DOWN- finding a role is a marathon, not a sprint. Only bad decisions are made in short order as they are not often carefully considered.
- For at least one full day, turn off your devices and get quiet. Stillness presents answers that just won’t appear if you have constant notifications/emails/calls/insta/Linkedin to distract you.
- Make a wish list of what would make you happiest. Within the context of finding employment and colleagues and mission and values- what lights you up? Put them in priority order.
- Do your homework on organizations that align with your priorities at this phase in your career- take your time in getting clear on what orgs really resonate.
- Challenge yourself to go deeper than team and culture and tech-stack. Read company blogs and question them on the reality of how what they espouse is reflected in daily life at work.
- Choose domains that you genuinely care about. Love climate-tech? Great, dig in on who the best companies to work for are. Want to work in AI ? It’s crowded, who’s really doing cool shit?
- Ask HARD questions in any interview based on Glassdoor reviews. Speak with other potential colleagues not on the interview docket. Go further to ensure alignment.
- Create your own timeline on decisions- just because one offer comes in doesn’t mean you need to accept it. Let all parties know from the start that you’re considering what’s best for your career and your deadline on a decision is X. All timelines are negotiable especially if you are clear on your process, your needs and how important this decision is to you and your family.
- Be kind to yourself and understand this process takes time. Smart decisions come from giving yourself space and time to reflect.
These are just guidelines and best practices, so take what resonates and ignore the rest.
Just remember- you deserve to be (GASP!) HAPPY and challenged and surrounded by amazing humans in your next role.
Be intentional, get organized, take your time and stick to the priorities that you set in the beginning.
Let me know how it goes! I think you’ll be happy with the results.
Cheers,
Dave
