job. When walking into just another job, the focus is generally on finding out your assignments, mastering them, and getting out of the office by 5 p.m. When the goal is to build a career, you bring curiosity to the table to understand your role and the organization's needs so you can contribute in a meaningful way outside of your day‐to‐day assignments.
Shortly after my first day, Amber and I were asked to share an office, and we quickly became close friends. We worked hard and became team leaders based on the appointments seen in any given month, innovative programs with departments outside of our office, and overall reviews from students. We knew career development wasn't just a job for us; it was a career.
Amber had started working at the institution eight months before me and straight out of her undergraduate program. I came in with a few years of professional experience unrelated to career development, so we ended up being on the same track together. Six months into the role, the policy to obtain a salary increase was no longer in effect. To this day, I have no idea why this policy stopped. I just remember hitting the six‐month mark and walking into my performance discussion feeling excited about recouping some of the money I sacrificed when I transitioned into higher education but being told that the money was no longer available. Knowing what I know now, I would have advocated for myself instead of walking away, but I didn't. Instead, I took this as a sign of workplace politics, and I let it pass.
Amber and I were promoted to senior career development counselors at the one‐year mark, based upon our performance, and we received a performance‐based salary increase. Given the norms in the office, these promotions and raises were common. If you performed well, you could expect to be promoted to a senior counselor within one year.
However, during my second year, things changed. During my first year, my goal was to learn the basics of career counseling, the office's norms, and lead the programming I was assigned. In the second year, we had metrics that were tracked and personal goals we needed to reach to move to the next level and ultimately be promoted to assistant directors. During the second year, the performance discussion with my supervisor changed how I thought about the world of work. I was in the early stages of this career path, but I was devoted and outperformed the other senior counselors in the office. I was also working on completing my master's degree in the evenings and required internships in the morning before work. At that time, I also didn't know very much about standing up for myself in the workplace, so when I disagreed with something, I'd vent to Amber, we'd grab a drink at one of our favorite restaurants after work, and I'd let it go.
By mid‐2013, when my second annual review came around, I expected another performance‐based salary increase and title change. I had surpassed all established goals, created innovative programs, presented at a state‐level conference, and joined the board for a professional organization. Maybe you can guess how this story unfolds.
I didn't get the full increase or title change.
My supervisor believed I could have exceeded my goals far past the level I reached.
To this day, I remember my exact feelings when I walked out of his office. My mind focused on one thought – I exceeded my goals for the year, but I could have exceeded them more. I tried to rationalize that thought but was overwhelmed with emotion. Then, more thoughts swirled around my mind.
Did he have a personal issue with me?
Could I have done more?
Was it a race thing?
Was it a gender thing?
Why was my standard of performance different from other senior counselors in the office?
I will never know the answers to those questions, but I will always remember the feeling of hopelessness. I felt like the only option I had was to accept the partial performance increase, sit down, and shut up. I was just getting into a groove in career development and did not have any mentors to contact. I also didn't have a clue about my professional brand and how I should promote myself to other universities if I wanted another job. All I knew was that I never wanted to feel like this again.
I vowed never to allow myself to be in that position again. I never wanted to feel like I had to accept something I disagreed with when it came to my ability to grow and excel. I also knew I needed to better understand how to articulate my feelings in the office and back them up with facts. That day I didn't receive the raise I wanted, but that moment certainly raised the stakes in pursuit of my own personal and professional development. As a result of my experiences, this book offers the specific tactics I learned, created, tested, and implemented to attain several dream jobs throughout my career (and even a few dream offers I turned down, too).
I want you to do more than read this book. I want you to beat up the pages – highlight passages, take notes, and reread chapters. Most of all, I want you to implement what you read. You can read all the lessons you want, and you can take notes of the advice I provide, but if you don't put action behind this advice, you are essentially holding yourself back from greatness, the greatness you and I both know you possess.
When I coach clients who are uninterested in changing their ways, I remind them that they are where they are because they keep doing the same mess that hasn't worked for them. This rebellious behavior comes in many forms – using the same, tired resume, attending networking events and not talking to anyone new, and submitting lots of job applications that never make their way to a hiring manager because they were using the wish‐and‐a‐prayer method versus truly advocating for themselves. If you are tired of doing the same things and not reaping results, it's time for you to let go of what you assumed was necessary to get a new job or position yourself as a leader and try something new, such as considering the methods I teach in this book (since you already invested in working with me by reading this introduction!).
I ask that you give this information a go. In the same way that you cannot attempt five different diet plans simultaneously and not get confused, I ask that you commit to the framework I'm sharing with you without peppering in advice from your friends, parents, and other influences. If you want to apply industry‐based information, do that, but if it's someone else's opinion, let's leave that at the door for a bit. Deal? We need to ensure that your mind is clear and focused as you gear up to make stronger, wiser decisions. It's time to trust yourself.
Now, let's get ready to make your next move your best move.
To ensure you're crystal clear on your next steps, I created a section at the end of each chapter called “Your Next Move.” This section is a brief recap of the chapter to ensure you know what you need to do after each specific chapter. There may be a summary of the key points to remember, or there will be specific questions for you to answer. I may even have some homework for you to do. The time has come to welcome a new opportunity to learn and grow!
You will also notice italicized sentences that I would like you to pay specific attention to. These are key. Again, I want you to pull the critical pieces you need to make your next move your best move. Like reading articles online where they notate how many other readers have highlighted a particular quote, the italicized sentences in this book will indicate takeaways for you, too. I am a combination of a storyteller and straight talker, so both elements are showcased in this book for your reading pleasure. Some of this information and guidance may snatch your edges from time to time, too.
I also want to acknowledge that you may not want to read this whole book right now if you know you're overdue to make your next career transition. It's really hard to think about navigating your next career move when you're in your current environment with your fair share of commitments, stress, current workload, and strong desire to leave right now.
I encourage you to allow yourself to take
