IWillTeachYouToBeRich - Career Seasons: Which one are you?

Reader,

Whenever I ask people what they want from a Dream Job, one of the most striking things about their answers is how DIFFERENT they are.

Some examples I've received:

• “I've worked part-time for a couple of years whilst my family needed me. Now I'm going back to complete my Master's and stepping back onto the career ladder full time.”

• “My kids are toddler age and I want to be available for them during this time of growth. Just having time to spend with them is a priority for me.”

• “I have been searching for a new job for some time, but this would include a career change. The older I get, the more I want to be doing the job I have always dreamed of.”

Stepping back into their career full time after hiatus. Spending more time with young kids, or pursuing meaningful work in a totally different industry. All different Dream Jobs for these three different people.

But if they ask for your advice on how to find their Dream Job, would you give them all the exact same answer? Of course not! Intuitively you know, each student has different priorities. Each student has different challenges. So it wouldn’t make any sense to give them advice that’s the same for everybody.

For example, the person who wants more time with their kids may want to look for a job that’s 100% remote, so they have a flexible schedule.

Or what if someone wants to switch careers? Well you might tell them to do their homework, like talking to experts from a different industry.

Or what about the person who really wants to hit that six-figure mark? Well, they should look for roles with a lot of room to grow, and they better be willing to put in the hours.

We call these different phases “Career Seasons.” And just like the seasons throughout the year, they’re natural, they change over time, and you may cycle through them more than once.

Your Season has profound implications for the jobs you look for and even the way you search for your job. 

I want to spend some time here helping you determine your Season — and showing you other people like you — so you can narrow down your focus. This will save you hours and hours in the process.

Let’s go over each Season. Then I want you to tell me, which one are you?

Growth

You’re motivated by moving up the career ladder, recognition, learning, and making more money. You’re willing to put the time in and don’t mind working hard. 

Here’s a real quote from someone that instantly tells me they’re in the Growth Season. 

“I feel like I’m falling behind compared to my peers. They’re moving on to senior management titles, director titles. I’m seeing everyone else have upgraded titles, so I say, ‘I want it too.’”

For some of you, this sounds terrible. For others, this is EXACTLY where you are.

That’s the point! The right Career Season sounds exactly right to you...and wrong to everyone else. 

Lifestyle

You value your career, but you also have other equally important goals. You may think about work/life balance if you're going into a Lifestyle Season. 

Here’s a classic quote describing the Lifestyle Season:

“I want to spend as much time with my kids as I can. I do not want to work 60 hours a week anymore.”

Notice these phrases, which instantly tip us off to the Lifestyle Season: “Flexibility” (or “flexible schedule”), “downshift,” or “family.”

Reinvention

You want to totally reimagine and change the course of your career, usually by switching industries.

Here’s a real quote from someone in Reinvention Season: 

“I have 12 years of financial sales experience, but I feel pigeonholed onto a sales track and don’t enjoy the work. I’ve always wanted to transition to a computer science field, but have no formal experience.”

You’ll hear typical phrases like “fresh start” to describe this Season.

Now, a few notes about Seasons:

Which Season do you think you're in?

Reply to this email and let me know: Growth, Lifestyle, or Reinvention. And tell me why!

I read every reply.

P.S. To show you more about how to find your career season and Dream Job, I'm hosting a free workshop on Monday, April 19. 

Not just any job. Your Dream Job. One that pays you more, lets you work when you want, where you want, and makes you excited to go to work again.

• Even if...you don’t know what your Dream Job is yet (or if it even exists)

• Even if...you don’t want to spend 60 hours/week at work

• Even if...you don’t have the “right” experience on paper

• And especially if...you don’t feel respected at work...your boss doesn’t listen when you talk...you feel worried about the future, and worst of all, you feel STUCK and HELPLESS to do something about it

If you want to feel fulfilled, secure, inspired, and most of all, valued at work, you should attend.

This is the exact system Top Talent uses to find and land the best jobs...often before they're even made public.

You can email me questions at ramit.sethi@iwillteachyoutoberich.com (subject: Workshop Question). I'll answer the best ones live, and I'll do some live Q&A.

Here are the details again for the upcoming live workshop:

EVENT: "How to find your Dream Job" workshop

DATE: Monday, April 19.

TIME: 8pm Eastern / 5pm Pacific (see your time zone)

COST: Free, but do need to register

Here's the link to sign up.