For every argument to be made, there's likely a valid counterargument.
Lately I've been arguing that people should celebrate their victories. Ignore the advice to “act like you've been there before”. Because most people who offer that advice haven't been there themselves.
Over the course of the last 37 years I've made some ill-informed decisions.
Two years ago I took a test for an industry certification.
I failed that test.
And I didn't fail by a little bit. I failed by a lotta bit. I failed three (maybe four) of the seven sections within the test. And one of those sections I had already been tested on and passed five years earlier.
I took only a couple hours to get over the failure. Because when you get down to it, I cared only that I had failed. But not what I had failed at.
A few days ago I wrote a blog post about how Polywork is fixing personal branding.
Polywork then reached out to me and hooked me up with a swag box.
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Personal branding is broken.
To establish yourself as an authority in 2022, you're expected to go all in on one field or discipline. That strategy may work for some people, but what if you're someone who enjoys finding links between unrelated studies? What if you're someone who doesn't want to be tied down to one job title?
Lifelong learners are likely to see their brands grow and evolve as they acquire more knowledge and skills. How are they supposed to showcase their growth and evolution?
Unfortunately, professional networks and platforms like LinkedIn aren't tailored for those wanting to showcase their range.
I started 2022 with a major career change. It was easy—all it took was applying to nearly 400 jobs in just under 3 months.
Disclaimer: What follows is the story of the job search leading to my career change. This post is not a how-to. I do not claim to have all the answers. Instead, I hope that sharing my experience and perspective can help someone else looking for a similar change.
It's LinkedIn and Polywork official: I've left the oil and gas industry.
I couldn't be more excited. And it's hard to imagine how I could have gotten any luckier.