The ?? in the Room: Your Non-Linear Career Path

Happy Sunday!?

Let's talk about the core of Winding Road Careers - non-linear career paths.

?I'm in the process of building a cohort-based course through Maven's Accelerator program. The course is called?Land Your Next Marketing Job Without a Resume.

?Based on the response to something I wrote on LinkedIn last week, I may drop the "marketing" aspect of the course and open it up to more people. (If you're interested in learning more, email me at [email protected] or DM me here, and I'll be sure to reach out when it's closer to launching, which is slated for early December).

The response to that post is why I want to talk about this topic today.?

The course title may seem like clickbait, but it's not. A few years ago I made a promise to myself that I would never lead with my resume if I'm seeking a new role and I've upheld that promise.?

What does that mean? It means, looking through open roles on a job board and clicking 'apply', submitting your resume, and waiting for the automated "thank you for your interest in this role, but the answer is no" response.?

If you've had a non-linear career path, you'll get this reply more times than not.??

Why? Because a lot of recruiters can't read between the lines. They're cogs scanning for keywords and ensuring your experience follows a predictable timeline. They're assessing risk to their reputation with the hiring managers they're working with.

Does it show that you've climbed the ladder? Are you progressing in one area and sticking with it?

Essentially, did you guess correctly what you wanted to spend the majority of your days doing after college, or did you give up on your dreams and decide it was too 'risky' to test things out and now you're stuck and rolling with it?

That's what they want to see.

And by the way, who exactly is veering off course, trying new things risky for??

Here's the thing. You can't change the past. It is what it is.?

Recruiters probably give up within five seconds of seeing my LinkedIn profile. It doesn't fit any box they have available. If it were luggage, they'd be throwing it on with the skis and golf clubs.

This used to worry me. I used to fall into the trap of thinking I wasn't playing it safe enough or sticking with something long enough to love it.?

The reality is, I know pretty quickly when something is going to suck, and I pull the plug and move on.?

Life's too short.?YOUR?life is too short.?

Too often, we make decisions about our own happiness and livelihood based on other people's criteria.?

A company and hiring manager is making offers based on their own risk profile, which is usually pretty low. That's why they want to hire people into the exact role they're already doing.

Someone's chances of joining another company in a promotional capacity are slim to none. It's all about risk.

So, What Do You Do? You build and nurture relationships. Period. It's a long game. It's not networking events -those suck. It's 1:1 relationships.?

Here are some things that have worked for me...

Immerse Yourself

Everyone's situation is different, but I can tell you what's worked for me- being driven to immerse myself and learn as much as I can about whatever area I'm thinking about pivoting into.?

Immersion is key - this includes seeking out communities, workshops (especially cohort workshops), and joining mastermind groups. Bonus points for finding a mentor in the area you want to pivot into. I've done all of these things over the past year as I've pivoted into marketing and revenue operations.?

Dig in and throw yourself into the deep end of the pool.?

It's super uncomfortable, but that just means you're getting outside of your comfort zone, learning, and gaining new perspectives on things. It means you're headed in the right direction because you're encountering uncharted territory for yourself.?

When you're in a community, and you see someone mention something interesting that you'd like to learn more about, reach out through a DM and ask if they'd like to hop on a 20-30 minute call to go deeper into the topic. Most of the time, they'll say yes.?

Start a Podcast?

I recently heard someone who has a large following and has written several best-selling books say that growing their podcast was slower than watching mold grow.?

It's hard, but sometimes audience growth isn't the objective. It's the conversations and the ability to ask questions of experts and influential people in your field (or new field).

I've made many friends and professional connections by interviewing people I had never spoken with before- or maybe I had only engaged through LinkedIn comments.??

Write an Article

Not just any old blog post, but one that requires interviews to get expert opinions on things. If you want to go all-in on this, you could write a book, but articles are a much better place to start.?

Once you start to get good at writing these kinds of articles, it could open the door to getting published in places with more visibility, like Forbes or Fast Company.??

Summary

Pivoting can be scary. Doing and learning new things can be scary. These are the things imposter syndrome is made of. Worrying about what someone else will think about your career path is a recipe for unhappiness.?

You always know more than you think- especially if you're considering a pivot. The key is to surround yourself with people who know more than you- when you're making a pivot, that's easy.?

Dive in, immerse yourself and have conversations with people you have something in common with or who have mentioned something in a community or forum that you're interested in learning more about.?

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New Podcast Episode 41 - Getting More Free Time with Jenny Blake

Jenny Blake?is an author and podcaster who loves helping people move from friction to flow through smarter systems, powered by Delightfully Tiny Teams. She just launched her award-winning third book,?Free Time: Lose the Busywork, Love Your Business.

We dive into some of the topics of her book, which is especially relevant to anyone spinning up side projects as they pivot or solopreneurs.?

We also talk about how to roll with changes as they come along- for me a new job and a baby have really disrupted routines that have been in place for the past couple of years.?

Listen to the full episode?here.

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What I'm Reading:

Nothing new this week - unless, of course, you're interested in?Peaceful Parent, Happy Kids,?which might tell you what my wife and I have been dealing with lately ??

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Asynchronous Voxer Coaching

Speaking of Jenny Blake...I participated in an asynchronous Voxer coaching program with her and loved it.?

We used the app, Voxer, to send weekly voice messages to each other for a span of three months. The format was great, especially when I'm busy and you're busy, and now I want to offer it to you.?

How it works:

• Download the Voxer app on your phone
• Each week, you send a voice message with one big question or problem you'd like help with related to your career management or a pivot you're contemplating
• I respond to your question by the end of the week.?
• Rinse and repeat each week.

Why it works:

• It forces you to reflect on one, specific topic at a time and we can go really deep
• It allows me to have time to think about your question and pull together a thoughtful response
• It also allows me to send links to helpful resources through the app

I will be accepting applications soon and will only be starting with three open slots. If you're interested, email me at [email protected] or DM me here on LinkedIn, and I'll add you to the waitlist and send you a link to apply. These sessions will kick off in early January.

Thanks for being a subscriber to my email list, friend! I appreciate you!

-Travis?

P.S. - Have a friend you think would like my content? Forward this email to them and recommend they?subscribe.