How to Get Clear on the Career You Want

Many people find themselves unsure of their career aspirations, feeling lost or unfulfilled in their current roles. They want clarity and direction, but are unable to align their passions and skills with their professional trajectory.

Jane Jackson , a LinkedIn Top Voice and author of Navigating Career Crossroads , helps career changers get the job they love. She chats with LinkedIn News Editor Andrew Seaman on the latest episode of #GetHired to explain how to figure out what you want out of your career. The two also discuss how to figure out what your values are and how to assess what aspect of your career is not fulfilling you.

You can read a transcript of their discussion below. You can also listen to the episode above or on Apple Podcasts by clicking here .

TRANSCRIPT: How to Get Clear on the Career You Want

Andrew Seaman: Kids are known for nagging their parents in car rides about where they're going and how long until they get there because they genuinely don't know. The same can be said about our careers. We're talking all about it on today's episode. From LinkedIn News, this is Get Hired, a podcast for the ups and downs and the ever-changing landscape of our professional lives. I'm Andrew Seaman, LinkedIn Senior Managing Editor for Jobs and Career Development, bringing you conversations with experts who, like me, want to see you succeed at work and home and everywhere in between.

As you can tell, I like to use the imagery of a road trip to talk about career journeys. Why? It works so well. For example, what if you start off on a trip from NYC to LA in a car? You have a destination in mind, but you may not have any idea how to get there. It'll probably take longer to get to that final destination than if you took the time to figure out a good route. Now, what if you don't even know where you're going? You might just stay on the same road, unsure when to take an off-ramp or an on-ramp. Sounds scary. Well, the same can be said about our careers. Jane Jackson, who is a LinkedIn top voice author and career and job search coach is joining us today to help those of you who maybe don't know where you're headed in your careers. Here's Jane.

Jane: So often, when we start our careers, there are expectations from our parents or expectations from friends or our teachers, and we don't know a lot about careers in the early days. So we are guided by what other people tell us, and we all have a career anchor, something that really pulls us. This is something that was identified by Dr. Edgar Schein. He conducted this 12-year study with 44 graduates from the Sloan School of Management, and he discovered that everybody has a career anchor, and that anchor holds you steady throughout your career. If you veer away from that career anchor, you start to find that there's something not right, there's something that's missing. Have you ever felt in your life or in your career that everything seems fine? Like the job is fine, the people are fine, the money's fine, everything seems fine, but you still think there's something not quite there.

Most people do and they don't realize why, but it's because they're not fulfilling one or more of their values. When you're deciding what you want to do in your career, it's important to understand who you are, what really makes you tick, what's important to you. And then I like to take people through a series of self-assessments. There's so much to delve into, depending on the answers that they provide. If you follow your true values, and you know that you are working with people who are in alignment with your values, that's a really rewarding experience. We've all gone through times when there's been a misalignment of values and it just doesn't feel right. I've been there, too.

Andrew: Actually, it's funny because I was literally talking to someone the other day and basically, they wanted to know if they didn't like their job or if it was genuinely just the drudgery of work. Everyone has bad days at their job and this person really was struggling whether they were genuinely unhappy or if it's just that's what a job is. And I said, "If you're asking that question, it's definitely bothering you enough where I think it's crossing a line for you. I want you to go out and actually make a list of what you like, what you don't like, and what you want to do. It doesn't mean that that's what you're going to do, but gets you thinking." I think that's such a powerful thing to ask people, so I'm glad that I didn't steer that person wrong.

Jane: No, definitely not. When some people feel disgruntled about their job or their career path, it could be a little thing that's not really the important thing, but they're so fixated on that thing that they think, "I hate my job. I hate the environment, I hate the industry. I need to get out." But really, if you take a step back and you think, "Let's just get a clear picture of where you're at right now." And you get them to assess what their values are and then what the skills are that they enjoy using and they have a high level of competence in, and then what actually satisfies them about their work environment.

It could be the people that they're working with, the manager that they have, the physical environment... The environment does affect you, as well. When you look at all those different things, the values, the skills that your personal motivators and de-motivators, and then you have a look at the job that you're in and assess, "Am I actually satisfying my preferences or my motivators or my values? Or am I not?" And you can just tick them off. It's very simple exercise to do yourself. Create this career kaleidoscope, and then we get this kaleidoscope where you can see instantly what's missing. Very often what's missing is not the big thing, it's the irritating little thing. Once you've identified it, you think, "Can I do something about this? Is this something I need to just accept or can I actually take action?"

Andrew: That's a really good point. There are a lot of people out there who focus on something small that's actually very fixable. Then there are people who definitely have a bigger issue where they realize that they went to college, they got a degree, and now feel like they're stuck. For those people, one of the messages first is that this is not going to be fixed overnight.

Jane: Absolutely not. You can make a small change or a big change, but if it requires you to retrain or get a new degree in something else, then of course it's going to take time. I've worked with a number of lawyers who've decided that maybe they don't want to be a lawyer anymore, for a multitude of reasons. But they've spent so many years getting qualified, called to the bar, and then they think, "But this is what I've trained in. I've been tunnel vision for so many years. There's nothing else I can do. I'm stuck." That's when the great dissatisfaction and the feeling of being a little bit trapped happens. You need to start to explore.

Andrew: Before we get to the next part of this discussion, how do you suggest people get over the idea of sunk cost when it comes to degrees or careers? This is something that I encounter with my friends and family where they'll say, "I'm not happy, but I have a degree in this," or, "I've been in this profession for 15 years." They feel like they're throwing everything away. What I try and get them to understand is it's still experience and you can use all of that. How do you suggest they overcome those feelings that they've invested too much already?

Jane: Very often, they feel a bit guilty, too. I'm thinking of the professions that you spend so many years getting qualified in. And if, 15 years later, you think, "I really don't like this," you are a specialist. Once you become a specialist, it makes it really hard to look outside. But you're absolutely right about looking at your transferable skills. What have you actually done? What have those accomplishments been in your career? And I don't mean just the technical accomplishments, but it's also during your time, how did you communicate with the people that you worked with? Did you get into a leadership role? Have you been developing your team? What else have you done?

We've all got multiple skillset sets, because we dance in the moment and we need to adapt in changing circumstances. If you can identify, maybe it's your analytical capability or your sense of humor or your flexibility or your adaptability or your ability to be able to influence the situation, then you start to think, for these skills, and most of these are the soft skills as well, you can transfer them into a different type of role. You can't completely change industry and change job all in one go, you need to do it step-by-step. Then you can start to plan as to where you can be in the next few years.

Andrew: I was a beat reporter at a place called Reuters before I came to LinkedIn and for the better part of a decade, I was a health reporter. Before that I was a health policy reporter. People, especially people in college would ask me, "I don't want to do one topic. I want to be a journalist and I want to cover everything." And I would tell them, "There's more money in being specific about something, because you become a specialist, and you're never trapped." Because say you want to become a sports reporter, but you're a health reporter. You could start covering the sports medicine field a little bit. And I said, "You slowly work your way over there, and it's not going to happen overnight," like you said. But it's doable. Even if you want to change completely, there's an opportunity for you to make those slow pivots.

For people out there who look at their values, but they're really stuck on what they will actually do, how can a person really figure out what the actual career is that they want or job they want?

Jane: I always recommend talk to people who are doing different roles. Even if you think, "Oh no, that's not for me," you're making assumptions. It's good to actually speak to an individual and say, "Tell me about a day in the life in your job. What is it like?" Reach out to people who are in an industry, in a type of role that you think, "That sounds interesting. I'd like to find out more about it."

First of all, when you reach out to them, it's flattering. And if you are polite about it and not too pushy, they'll probably give you a few minutes of their time or maybe even 15 minutes or half an hour, if you let them know, "I'd just love to find out what it is that you do because it seems so fascinating. How do you do it? How did you get into it? What do you enjoy about it? What do you not enjoy about it?" You start to pool that information from lots of different people that you've spoken to in an area that's fascinating. The more information you gather, the easier it is for you to determine whether something is still of interest to you and worth exploring.

Andrew: That's always the best way to dip your toes into networking, because you're not asking anything of the person other than some advice. And you could just reach out to someone and say, "Can you give me 20 minutes of your time?" More often than not, you'll be surprised how many say yes.

Jane: Absolutely. People always think, "I don't want to reach out to that person. I don't want to bother them." But if you do reach out, what if they say yes? Wouldn't that be a pleasant surprise? Then you can have a good conversation. But always let people know how much time you're going to spend and be well-prepared when you speak with them so that you are not wasting their time at all. Of course, always keep in touch with these people and thank them for their time afterwards. And do take up that advice, because there's nothing worse than someone asking you for advice, you giving it to them knowing that this will probably work, and then they don't take action. Don't talk for the sake of talking, talk and then take action, because that's the only way that you're going to really make a difference in your own career.

People love it. If they give you some advice and you take them up on it, it feels good. And then it'll actually encourage them to perhaps help you even more. It's just lovely to develop genuine relationships, as well. Make sure when you're reaching out to anybody to expand your network, don't always think "What's in it for me?" Think about what's in it for them, too. How can you help them? Because you are a professional, you've got skills. I'm sure that there'll be something that you could offer that perhaps would be a benefit, even if it's just your insights.

Andrew: We'll be right back after this break.

Andrew: We're back with Jane Jackson, talking about getting clear on where you want to go in your career. If a person does talk or they reach out to someone that they're genuinely curious about and they say, "Ooh, that sounds interesting," I assume the next step is to follow that down the rabbit hole to see if you continue to be interested and captivated by that profession or that idea of a role.

Jane: Absolutely. One of the best things you can do is use LinkedIn. I love LinkedIn because this is how you can build your network and learn so much, as well. If someone's given you an idea and you want to find out more about it and it's in a particular industry or it's a particular job title that you've been given, then have a look on LinkedIn and see who else is in that space. Then have a look at their career path, because we've got the experience section there. How did this person get to that level? What were the qualifications that they obtained initially? Did they make a pivot? And then if someone has made a complete change, you think, "How did they get there when they started in this different area?" Then reach out to them and let them know why you are reaching out and if they would be happy to have just a quick chat or an email exchange because this is what you are exploring. If you are really genuine about it and polite, they may respond and it could end up being an incredible beginning of a good relationship.

I've developed some really good, authentic relationships via LinkedIn because people have either reached out to me or I've reached out to them with an explanation of why we're reaching out, and it's really very rewarding when you end up taking that online connection offline, too, in meeting face-to-face.

Andrew: We obviously first met via LinkedIn. Because this conversation is all focused on the destination that they have in mind, how do they know when they have the right destination? I think there's a lot of people where they still have that fear of uncertainty because they don't necessarily know how they're going to get from where they are to where they want to go. And I think that holds a lot of people back.

Jane: When you are going in a direction that you feel like, "I'm continually learning, I'm actually having fun doing this," then you know are along the right path. No matter how hard a job is, if you are still learning and you're enjoying yourself while doing it, then you'll know that you're along the right path. For example, my career anchor is dedication to a cause or service. Many years ago I worked in public relations and one of our clients was a product that I didn't agree with because it wasn't ethically-sourced. I felt really uncomfortable writing copy to promote that particular product, and I was just so unhappy. I was really against what I was doing, but I was getting paid reasonably well for it. So I thought, "Is it the money or is it something that's important to me?" Eventually, I left public relations and moved into something different, more into education and teaching wrongs.

And when you know the values that drive you, you won't go for the wrong carrot because if I was purely chasing money and that was my top value, then I might've stuck with it. But because that wasn't the big thing, of course I needed to pay my bills, but I could still pay my bills and do something else that made me a lot happier. Once you are in that role, as I mentioned for this career coaching role 22 years ago, it just felt like home. This is what I'm supposed to do. Because with dedication to a causal service as my anchor, I'm making a difference every day. I'm doing something that helps someone and that brings me so much joy.

Andrew: I assume that it doesn't have to be as direct as that. If you're in a service role or that is your value, you don't have to be the one providing the service directly. Because if you are in sales and you like sales, you could work for a business that does service. Or if you are impressed and you are driven by education, you can work in sales for or recruiting for a university or something like that. You can sort of ladder up to those values.

Jane: Yeah. And remember, think about the industries that appeal to you, the job functions that appeal to you, and then how can you move... A little bit like a matrix within your career, how you can make one step that will get you closer to getting to that particular industry or that particular company in a particular role. You can really plot it over the next, say 2, 3, 4 years, depending on whether you need to get additional qualifications to get to where you want to be. But you need to know, "What is it that really drives me? What ultimately do I want to have achieved in my career that will make me feel happy?"

Also, think about the legacy that you'd like to leave. Regardless of what age, even if you're in your early twenties, project yourself to say into your mid- to late-nineties, depending on how long we're going to live, and think, "If that age and I look back on my career, what will make me feel that I've led a useful, valuable, happy life? What do I want to have achieved?" And the friendships and relationships, that will be important, too. But what do you want to have done? What do you want to be known for? If we all think about what's that flag we want to plant in the sand, that means, "This is me, this is who I am, this is what I've contributed during my lifetime to the world or to the community."

Andrew: Yes, and actually I'm really happy that you brought up family because something that I sometimes encounter with people is they'll say, "I don't really care too much about the bigger picture. I mostly want to provide for my family and I want to be able to be there for them." Should they still look at the larger values and say, you need to also be happy at work or at least content. What is your advice for people who have that main objective of, "I want to provide for my family and everything else is secondary"?

Jane: As a parent and a grandparent myself, I know exactly how people feel in that situation, but remember, if you don't look after yourself and your own happiness, it'll start to chip away at your confidence and your self-esteem, and it will then spill over into your family life, as well. And there'll be so much unhappiness because you need to really take care of yourself first. As Arianna Huffington said, you have to put on your oxygen mask before you can put it onto anybody else. You need to think, "What is it that's going to make me happy and yet still be able to provide for my family?" Very often, you could be in a job that's paying decent money, but you just don't like the boss, or you don't like the job function, or there's something that is making you feel deeply unhappy. If you can have a conversation and plan with your manager how you can improve on the situation, then that would be wonderful.

However, if you are in a toxic environment that's really affecting your mental health and you're only staying there because of the money so that you can pay the bills or look after your family, then to be honest, over time, that's going to affect you so badly that you won't be that whole person at home, either. You need to protect yourself first. Think about, "What can I do to improve the situation?" If it's harming your physical or mental health, then you need to remove yourself from that situation once you've started to explore what else you could do. I don't want you to just quit and have no money and then start looking for a job. It's a matter of planning what else you can do so that you can still be earning that same amount of money, or even more, if you move. But it takes considerable thought, and very often you can't do it on your own because you feel so stuck and helpless or even hopeless.

If you feel that you're in that situation where, "I've got to earn the money, but I really don't like where I am, there's nothing I can do about it," if you can't talk to your manager, find a mentor. There are people that you could approach on a friendly basis that might be able to give you some advice. If not, then of course you'd need to get some professional help or coaching or whatever to guide you. But talk to a trusted friend, someone who's done something in their career that you admire, and you can ask them, "How did you reinvent your career? How did you do it?" And listen to those stories so that you can start to explore what else you can do to put yourself into a happier situation.

Andrew: Yes, definitely. Another question that I wanted to ask is... Because there are some people that will pick a career or they'll find that destination and they'll go after it, and they're content on that path for their whole career. Other people will make a change and they'll be happy. But then there are other people that will make several changes during their lifetime, and I assume that's okay because we all evolve and there are some people who will need to do this process a few times in their lives, right?

Jane: Yes. Change is constant. In fact, change is quite exciting. Very good, too. Many people have about 10 to 12 different jobs, not necessarily career changes, but different jobs in their entire career. Having a portfolio career I view as a real positive because it shows that you are able to adapt and change. And if you stay in the same role for 25 years, you might feel a little bit stuck because you'll think, "I can't do anything else." But think also, in that one company where you've been, if you have had a long tenure there, you've probably held different roles and the different roles, maybe in different departments, have made you have to adapt to different people and different ways of doing things. But these days, I would recommend a portfolio of careers.

Don't jump ship every six months to a year, because you don't really get to sink your teeth into a role. But if you've been somewhere for about three, four years, it means that you've had time to get to know the people, get up to speed in the role, get some wins on the board, get some solid accomplishments and solutions you've provided. And then if you think, "Well, I'm pretty much top of my game here, what next?" And then move on, then that gets you an opportunity to stay fresh and to continue to learn. I think that's one of the things that keeps us young and vibrant, is to constantly be learning and be curious about what else there is. If you've changed jobs quite a number of times, think of each job, what did you learn from it? What were the people? What was the environment? What did you enjoy about it? After a while, you'll find that there's a common thread that brings you joy and brings you happiness in each of those roles.

Andrew: Also, you mentioned what makes you happy, and having that little bit of challenge and that feeling where something's missing. Especially in the US here, and I think many other places around the world, there's this focus on career growth, and a lot of people view that as getting a promotion and moving up in the ranks. But it's okay not to want to do that, right? It's okay to just want to be where you feel most comfortable.

Jane: A hundred percent. Because a career ladder makes you think, "I have to go up and up and up and up and get that promotion." But not everybody wants to be the head honcho, because there's so much responsibility. Because if you know what really satisfies you... Remember earlier on in the interview we talked about work satisfiers and what motivates you. Is it the people? Is it the job function? Is it the environment? Is it the type of manager that I have? What is it that makes you feel happy? So there may be times when you have to decline that promotion because you are so clear that, "Actually I'm very happy. But no, I don't want to become the CEO or the COO, I just want to be here."

Andrew: That's a really good point. Before I let you go, is there anything else that people should know about getting clear on where they want to go in their career or anything I forgot to ask about?

Jane: One of the things that will be most important is to take a life inventory before you do anything else so that you have a solid foundation. Consider, first of all... The life inventory is taking stock of where you're at right now, regardless of what age you are. What state are you at with your relationships, with your finances, with your health, with the physical environment that you live and work in, as well as where are you at in your career? Once you break it down into those five areas and then think, "What's working in each of these areas? What's not working? What is it that's draining my energy and what's giving me energy?" Once you know where you're at in your life, then you'll know if you need to focus on more to do with the physical environment first or the career first, or your relationships first, so that you can free up your energy to make the right choices for your career.

If you're thinking about making a career change now, I would have a look at, "What am I qualified in? What are my personal preferences? Where do my skills lie? How competent am I in those skills? And how much enjoyment do I get from using those skills?" Take all those skills that you have high competence and high enjoyment levels in, and then start to explore the types of roles that will enable you to use those particular skills. And have a chat with people who really know you, someone who's going to be objective to say, "You've got these skills, you've got this experience, these are the types of roles that you could focus on." Then, let's explore. Talk to the people who are doing those roles and see if it's really right for you. That's what I would advise.

Andrew: That's such great advice. Thank you so much for joining us, Jane.

Jane: Thank you, Andrew. It's a pleasure talking to you.

Andrew: That was Jane Jackson, who's a LinkedIn Top Voice, author, and a career and job search coach. Remember, it's up to you to put our advice into practice. Still, you always have a community backing you up and cheering you on. Connect with me and the Get Hired community on LinkedIn to continue the conversation. Also, if you liked this episode, please take a moment to leave us a rating on Apple Podcast. It helps people like you find the show. And don't forget to click that follow, subscribe, or whatever other button you find to get our podcast delivered to you every Wednesday, because we'll be continuing these conversations on the next episode right here, wherever you like to listen.

Get Hired is production of LinkedIn News. This episode was produced by Alexis Ramdaou. Rafa Farihah is our associate producer. Assaf Gidron engineered our show. Joe DiGiorgi mixed our show. Dave Pond is head of news production. Enrique Montalvo is our executive producer. Courtney Coupe is the head of original programming for LinkedIn. Dan Roth is the editor-in-chief of LinkedIn. And I am Andrew Seaman. Until next time, stay well and best of luck.