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Love this, Karisa! Isn’t it SO much easier to update your resume when you’re motivated to apply for a job you’re actually interested in?? I give all my clients permission to NOT work on their resumes until they find a job worth updating it for, because otherwise their energy around it is flat (and that tends to show up in their resume). Glad you found some things you’re excited about!
Hey Erin! So good to hear from you, and thanks for the update!
I’m glad you’re trying to be easier on yourself for not being where you thought you’d be by now (these things never tend to happen on our timelines — they always seem to take longer than we’d like!). And it sounds like you have made several changes in your non-work life, so definitely give yourself credit for that! Since you’re a Thriver, that’s arguably MORE important anyway.
As far as your career direction, I want to say that being a Thriver doesn’t mean you can NEVER combine your passion with your job … it simply means “proceed with caution” so you don’t find yourself resenting something you love. If there’s a way for you to work in the horticulture/landscape world that feels fun and low-pressure, then you might be able to make it work! (It’s the pressure that tends to weigh Thrivers down the most.) Don’t feel like you “should” find an admin/support/remote role if that’s genuinely not interesting to you. Go with your gut on this to see what feels best to you.
Good question about how to answer interview questions about changing to a more Thriver-friendly job. First of all, I don’t think a Thriver job HAS to be a step backward from where you are now. Any job that’s enjoyable, low-pressure, and provides flexibility and stability can be a Thriver job, so you don’t have to feel like you’re moving “backward” in your career to honor your Thriver values. So there’s a chance this question won’t even come up in an interview! Instead, they may ask why you’re switching industries/fields, to which you can reply that you’d like horticulture to become more of a hobby of yours than a career, and you’re interested in learning/trying something new. And if they DO ask why you’re seemingly taking a step backward in your career (which, again, I don’t think you have to), you can always say that you value work-life balance, and the balance was tipping far more toward work in your past job, and you’d like to find a true balance because then you can more fully commit to your work when you’re there (since you’re not burnt out and resentful).
Congrats on getting a job offer! I agree that, in the end, it wasn’t worth taking because you would have quickly become frustrated with the lower pay and benefits, but it’s still validating to get an offer after sending out several applications. If you can get one offer, there’s no reason why you can’t (and won’t) get several more.
I love Karisa’s idea about your painting, too! I was even thinking maybe you can devote one full weekend day to painting a month. Since you said you’d like longer stretches of uninterrupted time, having an extra 20-30 minutes on any given day may not seem like enough time to get fully into creative painting mode. But what if you treated it like a one-day monthly creative workshop? As in, you put it on you calendar, don’t schedule anything else that day, and let your friends/family know you won’t be available that day, and then have hours upon hours to simply paint. What do you think of that?
Hey Molly! Yep, you count as a “grad” now! 😉 Thanks for this update.
It’s no wonder it was a bummer to check out Richmond and realize that it didn’t feel right as a new home for you and your husband — especially since it sounds like you researched it and felt like it had real potential to be someplace you might like to call home. But you’re totally right that it’s WAY better to realize that now, instead of taking a job in Richmond and realizing too late that it’s not the place for you. So now you can be open to someplace that’s an even BETTER fit and that’ll be the Thriver-based home that you both are craving.
This is also great proof, like you said, that sometimes you have to experience something to know whether it’s right or not. You can do all of the researching and analyzing and pro/con lists you want, but at the end of the day, you can’t think yourself into what you want — you sometimes just have to give it a try and see how you feel. So I’m REALLY glad that you and Shaun gave yourself the opportunity to try it out.
And I’m happy to hear that you’ve been sharing some of the PPVE concepts with Shaun and that it’s inspiring both of you to try new things and step outside your comfort zone. That’s awesome to hear! I hope you’ll keep us updated as you continue to try new things and explore new potential places to live! The exploration process can be fun, if you choose to look at it that way. 😉
Hey Mary! Glad to hear the in-person interview went well! I wouldn’t worry too much yet about not hearing back from them, although you can certainly send a follow/thank you note (if you haven’t already) to hopefully prompt a response sooner.
And the new opening on your friend’s team sounds interesting! Definitely worth looking more into, at least. And if you decide to apply for it, I’d just be honest that you’re most interested in Instructional Design — who knows, maybe there’s a way of getting the best of both worlds!
Thanks for the updates! 🙂
Hi Mary!
I know the impatience can feel incredibly frustrating when you’re SO ready to leave your job, but it’s taking longer than you want. Hang in there! You’re doing all the right things.
As for potentially moving, I think it all boils down to your intention. Are you considering moving because you’re genuinely curious about living in a new place and exploring somewhere new? Or are you mostly thinking of looking for jobs outside of Austin because you’re afraid you won’t find what you want locally and/or it’s taking longer than expected? If it’s the latter, that tells me there are some GAILs showing up that are creating fear and doubt, and it’s worth questioning those GAILs. Because moving based on fear or lack is letting the GAILs win. But if you’re truly interested in possibly trying a new location, then yeah, maybe it’s worth seeing what’s available outside of Austin! Maybe it would help to do some journaling to see if you can get to the root of your intention?
Happy Valentine’s Day, everyone! 🙂
Hi Audrey,
Happy New Year, and thanks for the update! It makes sense that you’re feeling a little overwhelmed about the idea of moving to another state. It’s really exciting to think about, but it also brings up SO many more questions that you don’t have the answer to right now!
First, I think it’s a really good idea to try to line up a job in a new city before up and moving there. That will do a LOT to calm your financial fears. Have you already started looking outside of Colorado for jobs? A lot of people worry that it’s no use applying for a job unless you already live in the city, but Rachel and I have had several clients apply for and get out-of-state jobs — some companies will even pay for relocation costs! If you’re already applying for jobs in places like LA, Brooklyn, and Portland, don’t get discouraged if you haven’t gotten an offer yet. These things ALWAYS tend to take longer than we want. Doesn’t mean it’s not going to happen! Bigger cities like that have LOTS of opportunities, so chances are good that you’ll find the right fit if you keep up your consistency and make it clear in your resume/cover letter that you’re willing to move ASAP if you get the job.
Also, if you’re unsure which city you’d like to move to and what life would be like once you’re there, try this: Pick one city you’re considering moving to, and pretend for a day or two that you ARE moving there. Assume it’s GOING to happen, and act accordingly. Look for places to live, check out meetup.com groups in the area, research coffee shops and grocery stores and gyms you’d like to go to, see if there are organizations you’d like to be part of or volunteer for, etc. See how you feel as you’re planning your life there. Does it feel homey and welcoming and exciting, or forced and “off”? Then repeat the same thing for the next city! It can help you get a feel (from afar, at least) for what it would be like to live there.
Hope that helps! 🙂
Mary — I’m glad you introduced the concept of Passion Profiles to your team, even if you got some pushback from your manager and others. Because I guarantee you there are at least a couple of people on your team who maybe didn’t speak up (probably because they were intimidated by your manager poo-pooing personality quizzes), but who really benefitted from better understanding their values and working style. Plus now YOU can better understand the people you’re working with because you know their Passion Profile, which helps you understand what drives them. Your job wasn’t to sell everyone on the idea of Passion Profiles — it was simply to provide a tool for people who were open to learning more about themselves.
And I’m sorry to hear that you didn’t get the job you applied for, although it sounds like there might still be opportunities at that company in the coming year. So the door is not totally closed, which is good! No need to give up hope just yet.
Happy Thriving over this holiday break, Mary and Eryn! 🙂 And Happy Holidays to everyone!
Eryn — I’d say your feeling of relief when you found out you didn’t get the job is a pretty huge indicator that it wasn’t the right fit. Which is a bummer, I know, especially when you’ve put so much time and effort into an application. But it sounds like this application has put a spotlight on some of your non-negotiables, especially when it comes to a company’s expectations around how much time you devote to work (12-hour days is insane!). It’s been a helpful clarifying process, if nothing else!
It makes perfect sense that you want a little breather before you jump back into job searching/applying. There’s no need to burn yourself out on job searching by throwing yourself back in without a chance to pause, reflect, and catch your breath first. Give it some time, and come back when you’re ready!
Mary — What an awesome idea to have your whole team take the Passion Profile Quiz so you can all discuss your values and working styles together. Love that!!
If you only have 20 minutes for the discussion part and 11 people who might want to share their thoughts, I’d keep the discussion to the basics. As in, I’d ask 2-3 questions and let people openly share their answers: 1) What about your Passion Profile resonated with you? 2) How does your current role line up with your Passion Profile / what changes might you need to make to align it even better? and 3) How could the team support you in working more according to your Passion Profile?
You probably won’t have time for everyone to answer all of those questions fully, but by asking those questions (or similar ones), you’ll get everyone thinking about how this applies to them. I’d love to hear your thoughts!
