What does it mean to have career clarity and why is it important? In this blog post, we will talk about career clarity (and a peek inside my journal)

Do you want clarity on your career path?

Is what you’re currently doing just…not “it”?

Maybe…

• Your job isn’t fulfilling or
• Your workplace isn’t supportive of BIPOC or
• You’re doing what you thought you wanted but once you were in it, you realized it wasn’t

(In my case, it was all 3.)

I think the most disheartening thing about being in a job that isn’t the right fit is that you KNOW you have so much potential and impact within you but it feels like it’s being wasted in work that’s not aligned.

So… why is it so difficult to get clear on what we want in our careers?

The Cultural Connection

As folks with immigrant roots, we have been taught to prioritize safety and security, especially as it pertains to our jobs. They are our source of income and money is important for basic needs.

So once we have jobs that provide for our survival, it feels incredibly uncomfortable to try something new or different that may put that “security” into jeopardy. Especially, if your family is not about that change.

Our survival fear wants us to stay in the circumstances we’ve survived before vs take risks in the unfamiliar. So much so, that even allowing ourselves to think of options outside of our current path can be terrifying.

Why Brave Career Clarity is important

Let me put this in all caps so you understand my *passion* behind this statement:

YOU ARE IMPACTFUL & YOUR GIFTS ARE MEANT TO BE FULLY EXPRESSED.

As a badass community of folks who are descended from generations of survivors, you know how to get sh*t done. You see a goal and go after it. You work hard. You don’t like failing.

And all that “get sh*t done” energy is getting funneled into careers, jobs, and workspaces that do not allow you to fully express your magic.

Personal example: my gifts for space-holding, coaching, and community-building were not being used in my former job, where I stayed for 11 years. That’s over a decade of me trying to get good at things that were not meant for me (like increasing sales performance for insurance agents.)

Once I allowed myself to get clear that life coaching was my path, my whole world changed.

I’ve seen it for my clients also. For some reason, a lot of them end up quitting their jobs while working with me. (sorry, not sorry) It’s not because they’re running away from a career that feels painful. It’s because they’re releasing it to move toward a career they actually want.

Some career changes that I’ve witnessed first-hand:

• Dental student to mental health masters student
• Human resources to career coach for 1st generation students
• Civil engineer to death doula
• Employed to “funemployed, quit my job to travel and explore what I really want and I’m gonna trust that I will find something incredible”

How to get Brave Career Clarity

Heads up: It’s going to be a process. And… it’s supposed to be. Because you’re not just dreaming up what you want, you’re also unlearning the “shoulds” and beliefs that have kept you where you currently are in the first place.

Here’s one way to start:

Give yourself permission to explore what brings you joy, what lights you up, what you do with ease, and what comes naturally to you.

You can do this by free-writing (uncensored, unedited) for 10 minutes.

Here are some prompts for you:

• “In the past, I have loved doing….”
• “Some things that instantly make me smile are…”
• “I feel really good when I am….”

The key here is to explore this without judgment and without the filter of, “Yeah, but that doesn’t make sense”. For reals…write down whatever comes to you!

The intent of this exercise is to help you tap back into YOU — your gifts, your wants. Instead of looking at your career path through the lens of fear or others’ expectations of you.

Btw, I did a very similar exercise when I was trying to figure out what the hell I wanted to do after leaving my corporate career. Here’s a journal entry from 2017! when I was deep into exploring my options:

I’m happy to say that I have incorporated a lot of what I wrote in my current career.

What resonated with you? Comment below with any takeaways or questions.

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Looking to get support on career (and life) clarity? Join my Living Bravely Program. This is a clarity and courage program tailored for 1st & 2nd generation immigrants of color. Through a culturally-centered and trauma-informed approach, you will be supported to get unshakeable clarity in what you want and make 3 Brave Choices to change your life.