The Pong Effect: Switching Lanes Midcareer [by Hope Smith]

“So I hear you’re leaving us, Hope.”

I nodded and smiled a bit too brightly. My coworker, *Tom, was actually saddened by the news.

Well, extra, extra, read all about it: I’m outta here!

We stood in the dreary corridor of the Institution that had falsely promised a team-playing environment, a great company culture, excellent benefits…I’d miss the benefits…and as I shifted from heel to heel, Tom continued his line of questioning.

“So where are you going?” he asked.

I shrugged, still smiling.

Tom thought I was joking.

But the next two years would prove to be no laughing matter.

I had quit my job with no plan in the picture. No Cynthia Pong in my frame of reference. “If we don’t take charge of our lives, external factors will take charge of us,” she explains in her life-changing book, Don’t Stay in Your Lane.

I had erroneously thought leaving a toxic work environment was an example of taking charge of my life. Hear me roar! I don’t have to take this anymore, right?

Wrong.

A cool-headed, intentional approach is vital when making your next career move.

Checking my rear view, I now realize that I hastily made an exit without counting on a slower job market, the years after graduation adding up (ageism is real, no matter how youthful my appearance), and then there’s the issue of race. As Pong rightly states, women of color face additional barriers and carry additional burdens in the work world and beyond.

Don’t believe the hype? Try walking a mile wrapped in our magical melanin.

Poof! We suddenly disappear in a line for promotion.

Wave a wand - Tada! - The position has been filled.

No illusions here. For black women especially, it’s real out there.

So instead of securing the bag, I was busy securing the next interview, for yet another Executive Assistant role that would most likely not be the right fit.

“It’s really hard to differentiate something that’s merely a rough patch to ride out and a sign of something fundamentally misaligned,” Pong states.

Thankfully, owing to the challenge of finding a satisfactory Executive Assistant role, I was forced to take a step back and fully examine this rough patch of unemployment.

I had spent the last fourteen years in highly visible roles, feeling highly invisible. Day in and day out, you could find me frowning at my desk, managing demanding calendars, instead of managing a desired career course.

Midcareer, I finally had to ask: Where am I going?

Well, better late than never.

See, career burnout actually helps you gain traction to move forward in a new direction.

Case in point: After countless interviews for adjacent administrative roles, I had perfected the craft of presentation; and thus, my career as a job interview coach was born.

The path to coaching was not seamless, but my actual sessions were effortless. My clients were amazed by my coaching ability. One particular client, *Natasha, informed me that the outplacement service she used didn’t teach her half the things I shared, yet I was charging less than half for my services. Pong reminds women of color to be brave and bold with negotiations, merely thinking of this process as a “conversation.” We tend to underestimate our value owing to the way this society is set up.

Nonetheless, after reading, Don’t Stay in Your Lane, I had to come face-to-face with my own limiting beliefs. And as I took full stock of myself and stared in the mirror, Pong’s reflection stared back at me. I was astounded by the similarities of our stories, from the reluctance of putting myself out there on social media, to a path strewn with jagged rocks of self-doubt, and catastrophic thoughts causing roadblocks. Oh, and let’s not forget the haters, resenting our ambition, stuck in their positions, horns blaring with cynicism from behind.

I recall my last day at the Institution. *Melissa, the resident work bully, approached my desk and said, “Wish I could be that brave to leave.”

The thing is, Melissa had what it took to leave, but she had already used up her power for bad. She preyed upon the vulnerable. I had managed to escape Melissa’s wrath because I grew to know my own strength. I found my voice, undimmed my light, and all she could do was marvel at my transformation.

But catching a glimpse of Melissa’s vulnerable side made me realize how much agency we give to people who are far less powerful than we are, in short, plugging our valuable energy into the wrong outlets.    

Thinking back to my early days on LinkedIn, I felt powerless. Unplugged. I had under 50 followers and no motivation to keep going. I hopped on a couple of “let’s connect!” follow trains, but quickly hopped off. Wrong direction for me, but wonderfully effective for others.

Know thyself.

I am straightforward and could not do the InMail “how are you?” thing, strategically building up to my “ask.” Instead, I reached out to members solely based on relevant comments and industries, and got straight to the point: Yes, I’m an exceptional job interview coach, here’s how I can help you, no strings attached; I even offered complimentary services to job seekers in need.

I heard crickets and received spam in return.

Welp, I’m outta here!

But before I completely left LinkedIn, I changed my connection status to, “follow.” Occasionally, I’d pay a visit to browse the site and make a clever comment or two.

A couple of months later, out of the blue, I received a delightful message from Cynthia Pong, who was following up on an earlier matter we discussed. “By the way, I see you’re up to 1,000 followers,” she exclaimed.

I had to sit with that for a moment. You mean to tell me I had the power to draw attention to my page without even trying? With merely two articles I’d written, and a few comments made, members wanted to hear more of what I had to say? Now imagine if I actually put forth the effort to create content. Oh, the places I could go! And after reading Pong’s inspiring, informative, circuitous career journey, I now have the means to get there.

*Names have been changed to protect the identity of those involved.

Hope Smith, Behavioral Job Interview Coach