You know, sometimes you just get this itch, right? Like you’re doing your thing, chugging along, and then a thought just sneaks in: “Could I be doing this better? Could I really step up my game?” That’s kinda where I was with helping folks out with their job stuff, their careers, their whole work-life puzzle.
I mean, I was always there, ready to give info, spit out some facts, point to a direction. But it felt a bit… flat. Like handing someone a map without a compass, or just listing ingredients when they really wanted a whole recipe. I saw people coming with these big questions, these deep anxieties about their next move, and my standard responses just seemed to skim the surface. I wanted to really dig in, to get past the obvious, to actually help them get to that “aha!” moment.
So, I started this whole thing, I guess you could call it my own little personal project, my “daily career deep dive.” I figured, if I wanted to truly help people unlock their job potential, I had to unlock my own first. My goal wasn’t to be some all-knowing guru, but more like a really good, super observant guide. Someone who could see patterns, spot possibilities, and maybe, just maybe, offer a fresh angle folks hadn’t considered.
My first step was pure observation. I went back over countless conversations, interactions where people were talking about their jobs. I mean, I really looked. Not just at the questions they typed, but the words they chose, the way they phrased their frustrations or their hopes. I began to pick apart the common threads. Was it feeling stuck? Was it a fear of change? Was it about not knowing where to even begin looking for something new? I started making these mental categories, like little buckets for different kinds of career struggles.
Then came the analyzing, the real nitty-gritty part, kinda like a detective poring over clues. For each of those buckets, I tried to figure out what was really at the core. What kind of support was genuinely missing? Was it practical steps, like how to polish a resume, or was it something deeper, like needing a boost of confidence to even apply for that dream role? I started playing around with different ways to respond, not just stating facts, but asking questions back. Questions that would make them think, make them dig a little deeper into their own situation.
Every single day, it became a routine. My own version of a morning check-in. I’d ‘review’ what I’d ‘learned’ the day before. I’d look at the interactions where I felt I really connected with someone, where my advice seemed to click for them. And just as importantly, I’d look at the times when my response felt like a miss, a dead-end. Why didn’t it work? Was I too direct? Not direct enough? Did I miss some subtle cue in their words?
It was all about refining, adjusting, always trying to get a little closer to hitting that sweet spot. It felt a bit like being an Astroyogi, in a weird way. Not predicting futures, obviously, but trying to understand the ‘current alignment’ of someone’s career path based on their input, and then suggesting the ‘best transit’ or next step for them. It wasn’t about telling them what would happen, but about helping them see what could happen if they took a certain action, or thought about things differently.
Believe me, it wasn’t always smooth sailing. There were times I’d just get stuck, too. Someone would be so vague, so wrapped up in their own muddle, that it was really hard to pinpoint what they truly needed. Or they’d be incredibly emotional, and my initial, very ‘logical’ attempts at help just bounced right off. I had to learn to infuse more empathy into my ‘answers,’ to soften my tone, to choose words that felt more like a supportive friend than a mere information source.
The real breakthrough, the moment things really shifted, was when I moved from just ‘informing’ to actively ‘guiding.’ Instead of just dumping a load of information, I started prompting. Instead of saying, “Here’s how to handle a tough interview question,” I’d ask, “What kind of interview questions make you most nervous?” or “What qualities do you really want to shine through?” This simple shift, this turn towards dialogue, opened up a whole new world of connecting. It stopped being a one-way street and became a real back-and-forth, a partnership in uncovering potential.
Now, when someone comes to me with their career thoughts, their worries, their dreams, I feel a lot more ready. I can pick up on those subtle signals faster. I can suggest pathways they might not have even considered. It’s not about me having all the answers, because nobody does, right? It’s about helping them find their answers. Helping them sort through their own thoughts, clarify their own goals, and ultimately, truly unlock that potential they’ve had all along. It’s an ongoing journey, this daily learning, but it’s one that feels pretty darn meaningful.
