5 Ways Career Clarity Will Bring Career Confidence

It's prevalent for my clients to come to me because they want out of their current job. Whether it's a bad boss, a misfit with the organizational culture, or longstanding dissatisfaction, they've reached the stage in their career where they're ready to pull the eject button.

However, I believe it's ill-advised to leave a position while you're unhappy because you're not thinking clearly about what you want...you're only focused on getting out. This can often lead you out of the frying pan and into the fire. To avoid that, I like to first engage in some self-evaluative work so my clients can gain insight into what brought them there in the first place, what they really want, and how best to leverage the investment of time and energy they made to their organization. 

After we do this work, some new strategies emerge that help them regain some enjoyment in their work and an increased level of confidence and respect in the workplace.

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1. Ask for what you want - As women, we ask for permission or forgiveness before asking for what we want. Speaking up for yourself or speaking your mind and opinions, particularly when unsolicited, can feel aggressive or rude. However, you were hired to contribute your thoughts and opinions. I've had clients start to share their ideas at meetings, suggest policy changes to their boss, and get greater responsibility or even a title or salary increases, all because they dared to ask. When you get in the habit of asking for what you want, you start to gain confidence in yourself and what you have to contribute; and others around you will start to do the same.

"People respond well to those that are sure of what they want." ~Anna Wintour

2. Cut the negative chatter - How you feel about yourself on the inside shows up big time on the outside. It shows up in our appearance, tone of voice, energy level, and our overall communication. When I work with my clients to shift their thinking and teach them pattern interrupt techniques, they begin to show up differently. I've had clients invited to higher-level meetings with the Board of Directors or outside investors because their energy shifted. People are drawn to positive energy, so cut the negative chatter in your head.

"Once you replace negative thoughts with positive ones, you'll start having positive results." ~Willie Nelson

3. Don't take any shit - This is a straightforward way of saying, know what you want. You see, when you become crystal clear on what you want and how your current position can help you achieve that, you mustn't let anything or anyone get in the way of that. Get clear on your non-negotiables and use that newfound skill of asking for what you want to be clear about what you need and even who you need to work with to be happy and effective in your role. 

"Don't take any shit from anybody." ~Billy Joel

4. Know your worth - Clarity around your strengths and skills puts you in a unique position to let your boss know how effective or ineffective your role is at accentuating them. When you know this information, you can write your own annual evaluative review. For example, I've created a Career Review Guide for my clients to help them clearly see where the organization has excelled in maximizing their skills, strengths, and abilities and where they can improve. This tool landed one of my clients a 6-figure bonus! You can find a condensed version in my exclusive resource library which you can access below.

"We must never allow other people's limited perceptions to define us." ~Virginia Satir

5. Design your work schedule - This is about creating boundaries around when and how you'll work. For example, if you need to leave at a certain time every day, don't want to work weekends, want to work from home more often, need to limit your travel, or you need to bring on another staff member for support, get clear on what you need and address these things with your boss. If you've successfully done the first four things, you'll have built up enough credibility, confidence, and career capital that this will be easier than you think. 

"Either you run the day or the day runs you." ~Jim Rohn

Before committing to a complete overhaul of your career, try and see if your current career is salvageable. If it's not or these strategies have not worked for you, it may be time for you to face the inevitable and leave your job. While it's worth giving it a try, it's not worth you sacrificing your long-term health and happiness. 

Need more support gaining career clarity, elevating your career, and gaining unapologetic confidence? Apply for your exclusive invite to my private training and learn more about the Career Rebel Academy!  Click the link below 👇🏾