How to Pick a Career (That Actually Fits You)

Summary

This video script discusses the common struggle of finding fulfilling work, offering insights from career expert Helen Tupper's book 'The Squiggly Career'. It suggests seven tips for building a meaningful career without drastic life changes, emphasizing the importance of self-reflection, identifying core values, avoiding superficial job attractions, and leveraging strengths that energize. The script also highlights the value of being career curious, networking effectively, and fostering collective confidence to overcome common confidence issues, ultimately aiming to help viewers make more informed career choices.

Takeaways

• 😔 Many people feel stuck in jobs that are draining and unfulfilling, which can lead to a sense of wasting life due to the significant amount of time spent at work.
• 🚀 Helen Tupper's book 'The Squiggly Career' encourages breaking free from traditional career paths and exploring new possibilities at work.
• 🧘‍♂️ Tip 1: 'Unplug Autopilot' suggests taking control of your career by reflecting on what truly makes you happy and fulfilling, rather than mindlessly following a set path.
• 🎯 Tip 2: 'Play the Value Game' involves identifying core beliefs and needs by envisioning your perfect work environment and team, and understanding what is truly important to you.
• 💼 Helen warns against 'Shiny Objects' like high job titles or big salaries that may look appealing but do not necessarily contribute to job satisfaction.
• 🔄 'Switch Your Strengths' is about recognizing what energizes you versus what drains you, even if it's not something you're currently good at.
• 🤔 Be 'Career Curious' by exploring different roles and having conversations with people in those positions to understand what the job entails and if it aligns with your values and strengths.
• 🤝 Networking is not just about self-promotion but about building relationships where you can learn from others' experiences and seek guidance.
• 🙏 Asking for help should be done in a way that makes it easy for others to assist you, by articulating your needs clearly and showing appreciation for their time and advice.
• 🦁 'Collective Confidence' is about acknowledging that everyone has doubts and anxieties, and by recognizing this, we can support each other in overcoming these fears to pursue fulfilling career paths.
• 🔗 The importance of following up with mentors and showing them the impact of their advice can foster stronger relationships and further guidance in your career development.

Q & A

What is the main issue discussed in the video script regarding people's jobs?

The main issue discussed is that many people find themselves stuck in jobs they don't enjoy, which can drain their energy and make them feel like they're wasting their lives.

Who is Helen Tupper and what is her contribution to the discussion?

Helen Tupper is a career expert who has written a book called 'The Squiggly Career'. She offers insights on how to break free from the corporate ladder and find fulfilling work.

What does the term 'unplug autopilot' mean in the context of the script?

'Unplug autopilot' refers to the need to stop making quick, thoughtless choices about one's career and instead take time to reflect on what truly makes one happy and fulfilled.

What is the 'values game' and how does it help in career planning?

The 'values game' is a method to identify one's core beliefs and needs in relation to work. It helps in career planning by allowing individuals to understand what is truly important to them and to make career choices that align with these values.

What is the significance of 'shiny objects' in the context of job satisfaction?

In the script, 'shiny objects' represent superficial aspects of a job that may seem appealing but do not contribute to genuine job satisfaction, such as a fancy title or a high salary.

How does Helen Tupper redefine the concept of strengths and weaknesses in the context of career?

Helen Tupper redefines strengths as things that energize you, even if you're not yet good at them, and weaknesses as things that drain your energy, even if you're skilled at them.

What is the advice given for avoiding the trap of 'shiny object' careers?

The advice is to focus on one's values and what is truly important and fulfilling, rather than being distracted by superficial benefits.

What is the role of 'career curiosity' in finding a fulfilling career?

'Career curiosity' involves being proactively curious about one's career options, exploring different roles, and having conversations with people in those roles to understand what they entail.

How can networking be beneficial in career development, according to the script?

Networking can be beneficial as it allows individuals to learn from others' experiences, gain insights, and find mentors who can guide them in their career development.

What is the concept of 'collective confidence' and its importance in career advancement?

'Collective confidence' refers to the understanding that everyone struggles with confidence issues or 'gremlins'. Recognizing this can help individuals support each other and not let doubts and anxieties hold them back from pursuing fulfilling career opportunities.

Outlines

00:00

😔 Stuck in Unfulfilling Jobs

The paragraph discusses the common issue of individuals feeling trapped in jobs that they do not enjoy, which can lead to a sense of wasted life and unhappiness. The script introduces Helen Tupper, a career expert, and her book 'The Squiggly Career,' which advocates for breaking free from traditional career ladders to find more meaningful work. The paragraph offers seven tips to help viewers reflect on their career aspirations and how to achieve them, starting with the advice to 'unplug autopilot' and spend more time considering personal desires and motivations before making career decisions.

05:00

🔄 Playing the Value Game for Career Satisfaction

This paragraph delves into the concept of the 'values game,' a method for identifying one's core beliefs and needs in relation to work. It emphasizes the importance of understanding what qualities one seeks in a team and the type of work environment that is desirable. The paragraph suggests reflecting on personal 'sticky words' or values that are particularly meaningful and using these to evaluate the fit of potential career roles. It also touches on the idea of focusing on what energizes you rather than just what you're good at, and how this perspective can lead to more fulfilling work.

10:02

🚀 Career Curiosity and Avoiding Shiny Object Syndrome

The paragraph advises viewers to be 'career curious' and explore different career paths without necessarily making drastic changes. It warns against the allure of 'shiny objects' like job titles, status, or high salaries, which may seem appealing but do not guarantee job satisfaction. Instead, the focus should be on aligning with one's values and strengths. The speaker suggests talking to people in roles of interest to gain insight and understanding of what those roles entail. Additionally, the paragraph introduces the idea of finding a mentor and the importance of articulating requests for guidance in a way that makes it easy for others to help.

🤝 Building Confidence and Seeking Support

In this paragraph, the speaker discusses the importance of networking and seeking help from others, emphasizing that most people are willing to assist if approached politely and with a clear purpose. It provides advice on how to approach potential mentors and the value of following up on their advice. The concept of 'collective confidence' is introduced, highlighting that everyone struggles with self-doubt, referred to as 'confidence gremlins.' The paragraph encourages viewers to recognize these insecurities and not let them hinder career progression, reminding them that everyone, regardless of their position, has similar doubts and anxieties.

Keywords

💡Autonomous Career Choices

Autonomous career choices refer to the decisions one makes about their professional path without being constrained by traditional career ladders or societal expectations. In the video, the concept is emphasized as a way to liberate oneself from the corporate ladder and find meaningful work. For instance, Helen Tupper's book 'The Squiggly Career' promotes the idea of breaking free from the conventional upward climb in the corporate world to explore new possibilities.

💡Unplug Autopilot

Unplugging autopilot is the act of becoming consciously engaged in one's career decisions rather than passively following a predetermined path. The video script suggests that many people are on autopilot, moving from school to university to a job without much reflection on personal desires and motivations. This concept is central to the theme of the video, encouraging viewers to take control of their career direction.

💡Career Reflection

Career reflection involves a deep and thoughtful consideration of one's professional aspirations, motivations, and what brings happiness and fulfillment. The script mentions the importance of reflecting on what makes us happy before making career moves, which is crucial for aligning one's work with personal values and desires.

💡Values Game

The values game is a self-assessment exercise that helps individuals identify their core beliefs and needs in relation to their work. The video describes this process as impactful, helping to clarify what one needs and wants from a career. It involves asking oneself about the ideal work environment, team qualities, and the kind of culture that would be most fulfilling.

💡Shiny Objects

Shiny objects in the context of the video represent superficial job aspects that may appear attractive but do not contribute to long-term job satisfaction. These can include status, job titles, or high salaries, which might distract from the lack of fulfillment in the actual work. The script warns against being trapped by these superficial benefits and encourages focusing on values instead.

💡Strengths and Weaknesses

In the video, strengths are redefined as activities that energize an individual, while weaknesses are those that drain their energy, regardless of proficiency. This perspective is used to guide viewers to focus on what brings them joy and energy in their work, even if they are not yet skilled at it, rather than sticking to tasks they are good at but do not enjoy.

💡Career Curiosity

Career curiosity is the proactive exploration of different career paths and opportunities to find greater satisfaction in one's work. The script advises viewers to be curious about their career options, to talk to people in roles they are interested in, and to explore possibilities within their current workplace before making drastic changes.

💡Networking

Networking, as discussed in the video, is the process of building professional relationships that can provide support, advice, and opportunities. It is portrayed as a valuable skill for career development, with the script offering advice on how to approach potential mentors and the importance of following up on their suggestions.

💡Collective Confidence

Collective confidence refers to the shared understanding that everyone has doubts and anxieties about their abilities, which can be mitigated by recognizing and supporting each other. The video emphasizes that even the most successful people have confidence issues, and by acknowledging this, individuals can feel less alone and more empowered to pursue their career goals.

💡Confidence Gremlins

Confidence gremlins are the internal voices or thoughts that undermine self-assurance and prevent individuals from pursuing opportunities or taking risks in their careers. The video uses this term to illustrate the universality of self-doubt and to encourage viewers to recognize and overcome these internal barriers.

Highlights

Many people find themselves in jobs that drain their energy, which can feel like a waste of life due to the significant time spent at work.

The pursuit of a job one enjoys can seem impossible due to the necessity of earning a living, leading to a compromise at the cost of happiness.

Helen Tupper's book 'The Squiggly Career' offers guidance on breaking free from the corporate ladder and exploring new career possibilities.

Seven tips and insights from Helen Tupper are presented to help individuals consider their career direction and how to achieve it.

Tip one suggests unplugging autopilot and taking control by reflecting on personal desires and motivations rather than making quick job choices.

The value game is introduced as a method to identify core beliefs and needs in relation to work, helping to clarify what is truly important for career satisfaction.

Morning Brew is recommended as a daily email newsletter for staying updated on business, finance, tech, and world news in an engaging manner.

Shiny objects are described as superficial job aspects that may appear appealing but do not contribute to long-term happiness or fulfillment.

The concept of switching strengths is introduced, where strengths are what energize you, and weaknesses are what drain your energy, regardless of proficiency.

Being career curious involves exploring different career paths and possibilities without necessarily making drastic changes.

Networking is simplified by asking for specific advice or insights rather than seeking a mentor for an ongoing commitment.

Collective confidence is the idea that everyone struggles with confidence, and recognizing this can help individuals support each other in career growth.

The importance of following up with mentors after taking their advice to demonstrate that their guidance was valuable and effective.

The video concludes by encouraging viewers to watch the full episode with Helen for a deeper dive into career development strategies.

Transcripts

loads of people find themselves stuck in

jobs that they don't actually enjoy or

even worse jobs that drain their energy

and grind them down and when we spend so

much time at work this is a big problem

because not only do we feel like we are

wasting our time at work we can feel

like we are wasting our whole lives and

we can often feel really stuck we need

our jobs in order to make money and

survive and do all the things we

actually want to do but it comes at the

cost of our happiness so trying to pick

a job that you actually enjoy can seem

impossible at times but what if I told

you that there's a way to build build a

career that you find meaningful and

fulfilling without the need to upend

your life a little while ago on my

podcast Deep dive I interviewed Helen

Tupper a career expert who's written a

book called the squiggly career which is

all about helping people break free from

the corporate ladder and find new

possibilities at work it's about not

being limited by a ladder not thinking

that the only way is up and that the

only destination in terms of success is

becoming more senior once we get rid of

those constraints is actually quite

liberating for people so in this video

we're going to talk through seven tips

and insights from Helen to help you

really think about where you want to go

in your career and how to actually get

there let's get into it all right so tip

number one is to unplug autopilot one of

the biggest problems we face when trying

to find a career we actually enjoy is

the fact that we don't actually spend

much time thinking about what it is that

we really want we don't necessarily

reflect for very long unless you read

the book on things that make you happy

the things that motivate and drive you

so we um make quick choices we sort of

bounce around from one job to the next

hoping that we will find out what makes

us happy once we've got there uh and I

think if we could spend a little bit

more time reflecting on what makes us

happy before we get there then we can

make better decisions about our

developments so lots of people are just

on autopilot we go to school and then

University and then get a job and school

and University don't leave much room for

self-reflection often we're stuck living

with the decisions we made as teenagers

before we had any real experience of who

we are and what the world is like and if

we don't like it we switch and then

switch again and again or get caught up

trying to climb the career ladder I have

finally decided who I want to be our new

senior Vice President of Sales it's me

what' he say so if we want to be happy

we actually have to sit down and think

about who we are what we want and what

we find fulfilling you need to unplug

autopilot and take control yourself this

doesn't have to be your ultimate fantasy

like becoming a musician or building the

next bit company but instead you can

think about the smaller details you can

ask yourself some questions to figure

out what you want like

do you really enjoy helping people are

you motivated by having autonomy and

freedom is it important to you that you

work in a friendly environment if you

spend some time reflecting on these

things before you make another career

jump then you're more likely to make

choices in line with what you really

want all right so tip number two is to

play the value game so the values game

is a way to figure out exactly what your

core beliefs and needs are when it comes

to work now Helen and I did this

together and it was really impactful for

me because it helped me see exactly what

I need and want from my career you start

out by asking yourself these questions

if you could create your perfect team

what kind of qualities would the people

on it have if you're designing your

perfect day what sort of work are you

doing where do you like to work and this

doesn't mean the buildings this means

the kind of culture and atmosphere that

you find at your job for example for me

I know I like to work with people who

are energizing and entrepreneurial but

who are also fun and friendly and my

ideal day involves some learning and

also some teaching because those are the

things that really give me energy and

because I like to work with friendly

people it's important that my company

culture is chill and positive and when I

did this exercise with Helen in the

podcast she could see what kind of

things were really important to me I

like to listen out for like particularly

what I think are sticky words words that

other people don't say because then

they're more meaningful and memorable to

you yeah where it's not like I've ticked

it off a list like I don't really want

people to just go through a list and go

oh yes I've got a value of ambition and

I've got a value of this you know you

you might have it but let's talk about

it for a bit longer what does that word

mean to you because if I can find the

sticky words it's more likely to stick

with you and then you're more likely to

use it when you're thinking about your

career so once you found your keywords

you can start playing them off against

each other so let's say your values are

curiosity ambition honesty and

perseverance you can ask yourself what's

more important to me curiosity or

ambition honesty or perseverance

perseverance or ambition ambition or

honesty and in trading or exchanging

your values you can see which one comes

out on top and you only need a handful

of values but figuring them out can help

you see what kind of roles are really

going to be the best for you now if your

dream career is to be an entrepreneur or

if it's anything involving business

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video let's get back to it the skip the

shiny objects so Helen describes shiny

objects as things which can make a job

look super appealing but don't actually

make you happy it's surface level stuff

so it's um grades like when you're in uh

large organizations it's the oh I'm at a

a B level and I could get to the sea

level um and we kind of get very

attached to grades it's shiny objects

like literal ones like cars like I once

took a job because of the car it came

with definitely and I remember sitting

in my shiny car thinking H I'm not sure

this job's really making me happy but

I'll just put the radio on my car shiny

objects can be things like status or a

fancy job title or even a big salary

these are all things that might seem

like benefits but can distract you from

the fact that your daily life in that

job is not fulfilling or even might be

miserable if you focus on your values

the things that are truly important to

you and that you want to be known for

you're more likely to avoid the Trap of

a shiny object career and actually

figuring out what you want to be known

for is a really important step in

figuring out your career and this

doesn't have to be something you're good

at yet it can be a new skill you want to

learn or a reputation or personal brand

that you want to build but to do this we

need to understand another really

important part of Helen's philosophy

which is to switch your strengths so

normally we understand a strength as

something you're good at and a weakness

as something you're bad at but Helen has

a completely different idea she

describes strengths as things that

energize you and weaknesses are the

sorts of things that grind you down so

the things strength being the things

you're good at um actually strength's

the things that give you energy in the

work that you do um even if you're not

great at them yet so when people think

they have to be good at something or

they have to be great at it for to be

your strength they start sort of

dismissing it and they go well I'm not

as good as Ali as it so it can't be a

strength because obviously it's your

strength but I'm not as good as you so

it's not it can't be my strength and you

get into all this stuff so if we just if

our starting point for strengths is just

strengths are the things that give us

energy it's a kind of easy starting

point it's the weakness thing I just

want to really reflect on for a little

bit so weaknesses are the things you do

that take your energy away when you do

them even if you are good at them so

let's say you're really good at data

analysis you understand spreadsheets

inside out and you're really quick with

numbers but you absolutely hate it every

minute just drags by and even though you

produce the results it's a painful

process but on the other hand you might

really love talking to people and

starting up conversations you might not

be good at it yet you could be a bit

awkward or fumble your word sometimes

but this is the thing that really

energizes you and makes you feel excited

now in this case you want to focus on

what you enjoy even though you're good

at data analysis it's actually a

weakness here because it's draining your

energy and even though you might be bad

at it sharing your ideas with others and

talking to people is actually a strength

using this framework now I really like

this way of looking at strength and

weaknesses because it helps you see that

work shouldn't just be about outcomes

but how the job makes you feel cuz

that's important too we all want to do

well at work but it doesn't have to be

painful so now we've talked about all

the internal work that can help you

figure out what you want from a career

so how do we actually get there and

Helen's advice here is that you need to

be career curious so you may think that

if you're unhappy in your job you need

to make some kind of drastic change like

quit the company or start something

brand new or even go back to University

and get an MBA or train in a whole new

field and sometimes that will be the

right choice but most of the time we can

make much smaller changes to our career

to be way happier and basically you need

to know what your options are the skill

here really is to be proactively curious

about your career and you can do that in

in in lots of different ways um what I

often suggest as a starting place here

is that people um go and explore for

specific possibilities like like and I

don't mean apply for jobs that's exact

opposite of what I'm saying I'm saying I

want you to go and talk to people and

get closer to these career possibilities

and so four that I'd recommend people

have a look at um the obvious career

possibility so we we all have a move

that probably makes squiggly sense like

when I was at Microsoft it was my

manager's job like that's what people

thought I should do and it seemed

sensible to do um now I run my company

the sensible move for me to make is

actually to stay in my job because it's

growing my company is growing and so I

will grow with it that's the the

sensible move for me to make um the

reason I want people to explore this one

a little bit more is because a lot of

people assume that because it's obvious

it's the right move for them to make so

they take on their manager's job or they

go for that promotion because they

they're currently a junior and they

should be a senior and all those kind of

things or I just stay in my role because

it's obvious that it's growing and I

should stay in it um and actually maybe

that role doesn't actually need what you

want to be known for the strength maybe

that role doesn't align with the things

that really drive and motivate you back

to your values so it'll be a good fit

for you if it fits with your values and

strengths if if it doesn't then it might

look good on paper but it's not going to

be good for you and so we only know that

stuff when we when we talk to people who

are in those positions maybe we find

time to spend time in those meetings

we're observing it from a slightly

different perspective if you think you

want a new role see if there's something

you can take on where you already work

try and Branch out a bit and share your

skills more widely and most importantly

actually have conversations with people

who do the job that you're interested in

for example if a sales position opens up

in your company and you want to take it

actually ask the sales team what the job

involves if it means you have to give

weekly presentations for example but

that terrifies you and drains your

energy it might not be the best role for

you or if a role in marketing comes up

which seems really boring on paper but

when you talk to the people doing it and

you find you have loads of Freedom

autonomy and creativity then it might

actually be a great job for you so

instead of looking straight up the

ladder you can look across at other

roles to see what's available and most

importantly ask questions and have

conversations so you don't just jump

from one job to another without finding

anything really fulfilling but to do

this we also need the next skill which

is to help people help you now a lot of

people are really put off by the concept

of networking when I think of networking

I think of a bunch of people in fancy

clothes standing around drinking

cocktails and all laughing and joking

with each other everyone's trying to get

ahead and promote themselves which is

something a lot of us hate doing it

seems like a club that I don't belong to

but I think the truth is that most

people genuinely want to help and if you

ask them the right way they're probably

going to be willing to lend you a hand

now here is Helen's advice on how to

find a mentor who can help you get ahead

in your career and then when we're

making that request for that person's

time I think the way that we articulate

that request is really important so this

is where we get to the kind of the why

I'm coming to you so let's say you have

got investment experience that I would

benefit from I might say one of the

things that I'm really focused on is

amazing gifts growth and impact and one

of the ways that I think we can do that

is by investing in other people's

businesses I know that that is something

that you have done before and I think

you've got a lot of knowledge that I can

learn from would you be prepared to

spend half an hour with me just sharing

the insights that you got so that I can

use that to inform the the things that

I'm planning to do and like hell yeah of

course if IID just gone to you and said

will you be my

mentor like that's like a recurring

commitment on my time I don't have time

like come on like who are you you that

kind of who are you how much time do you

think I actually have like like there's

no it's too hard we don't want to make

it hard for people to help us remember

people helping people I want to make it

as easy as possible for you to help me

so as long as you're polite and friendly

most people are going to want to help

you if they can and another top tip here

is to always follow up with mentors if

they suggest that you try something give

it a go and then report back people

really like to feel like that time and

advice has been worthwhile but

networking is made so much easier when

you have that final skill that will help

you pick a career that you really love

and that is collective confidence now

I've spoken a lot about confidence on

this channel before but one of the

things that Helen says about confidence

has really struck with me and that is

the idea that every every single person

struggles with confidence she calls our

confidence problems confidence Gremlins

The Little voices inside our heads which

hold us back everyone has their own

Gremlins they might tell you that you're

not smart enough for a job that you're

too young or too old for a job or that

you're a bad public speaker or you're

bad at math and numbers it could

literally be anything but the important

thing is to remember that everyone has

these worries every single person

struggles with confidence and with

Collective confidence we can all lift

each other up I think with with

confidence the the the first thing

that's really important very often is

for people to know that they've got a

gremlin and know that everybody else has

two it's so often we're like oh I just

think I'm I just think I don't know

enough and I'm going to get found out

but like most people have those kind of

thoughts and it doesn't really matter

how senior people are or what position

they're in most people have some kind of

confidence gremling that gets in the way

of their growth and I often find when

we're doing like squiggly skills

sessions that it's it's it's this moment

of like realization I'll be in a room I

was in a room recently with um uh a

group of lawyers uh and I was thinking

they're going to be are they going to be

open it was a group of lawyers talking

about confidence and I was like are they

going to be open to talking about this

and we talked about the confidence

Gremlins and I got everyone to um put

their hands up every time they're

identified with one of the Gremlins um

and they were putting their hands up in

the room they were all obviously looking

at each other in the room and then we

went through all the 10 most common

confidence Gremlins and I said and and

what what does this all make you think

what you've just seeing each other put

your hands up what does it make you

think and they um they were like oh

we've all got Gremlins and then they all

sort of laughed and then it was like

this relief it was like oh I'm I'm not

the the only one so when you're thinking

about your next career move take a

moment to remember that even the most

qualified people have doubts and

anxieties so don't let those doubts and

anxieties hold you back from going after

a job that's going to make you happier

everyone around you is experiencing a

similar thing and collectively we can

all help each other reach our goals

because it's really not worth missing

out on some great opportunities just

because you're too scared to go after

them if you like this video you're going

to absolutely love the full episode that

I did with Helen you can check that out

by clicking the link right over here so

thank you so much for watching have a

lovely day and I hope you man to figure

out what to finally do with your career